Lines In The Sand
by wordscreatereality
Summary: This is a continuation of The Ties That Bind. If you haven't done so already, I recommend reading the first story in the series or this story won't make much sense. Oliver accompanies Felicity to Las Vegas to help her clean up some loose ends. After everything that has happened, they are both ready to stop pretending that the only thing they share between them is friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: Thank you for choosing to read my story. **

**This is a continuation of my earlier story, The Ties That Bind. If you haven't already read it, I recommend you do so or this story might be confusing.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

Oliver woke with a start. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his lungs to completely fill and as he exhaled he cleared his mind of the nightmare that had woken him. In his dream, Felicity had been shot by a faceless man and had plunged into the dark water of the harbor, vanishing beneath the waves just out of his reach. _Felicity!_ His eyes shot to the bed and he stood when he realized she was no longer there. He was about to call out for her when the light from under the bathroom door provided the explanation for her disappearance. Dropping back into the armchair, Oliver rested his elbows on his knees and placed his hands on the back of his neck. He wanted to knock on the door and ask her if she was okay, but decided she would appreciate her privacy more. He was worried about her. Between the kidnapping, her mom's involvement and subsequent murder, Vic breaking up with her the day of her mom's funeral, well, Felicity was having a really bad week and Oliver wasn't sure what to do to help her. His head shot up as he realized he could hear her speaking. He couldn't tell what she was saying, but he recognized the tone. She was using her patented, trying to sound calm while furious voice. Unfortunately, he knew it all too well. He quickly moved to the bathroom door and was about to knock when he heard something clatter to the floor. "Felicity, I'm coming in." He waited a beat for her to respond before he slowly opened the door.

She was seated on the tile floor with her back against the linen closet, her knees drawn up under her chin. Her phone and its shattered case were on the floor. She was dressed in a borrowed nightshirt that belonged to Thea. When Walter divorced Moira and purchased the 30th floor apartment, he had turned one of the bedrooms into a room for Thea. After the Undertaking, Thea had stayed frequently at Walter's penthouse. In his life, Oliver had done many things he was ashamed of, but none more than disappearing to Lian Yu for five months when his sister had needed him the most. When he finally realized how much pain he'd caused Thea, his mom, Diggle and Felicity with his actions, he vowed he'd never run away again. He hadn't been able to keep his vow long because, when his mom died, he disappeared on them again. He knew that if he'd been stronger and had been able to face his guilt, Thea wouldn't have run away and he'd know where she was and if she were safe. He failed to help Thea then, but he could help Felicity now. Oliver sank down onto the floor next to her. "Hey, you okay?"

She nodded her head, but didn't look at him. "I'm sorry I woke you."

Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't. Was that Vic?" He asked, trying his best to sound interested but not jealous.

Felicity shook her head and then turned to look at him. She sounded tired when she said, "No, it wasn't Vic." He watched as she silently debated with herself. Before she said a word, he knew she was about to lie to him. "It was someone who knew my mom. He wanted to give me his condolences."

He was wrong, it hadn't been a complete lie, she'd given him a half truth. His best guess, the call was about her mom but no one was calling with any sympathy. "Mmmm." Oliver and Felicity sat in silence, their eyes locked upon one another as they each tried to decide what to say next. He could see from her expression that she knew that he didn't fully believe her.

From the moment they met they had an uncanny ability to read the other. She always knew when he was lying and he always knew when she was keeping something from him. Most times, this ability came in handy, unfortunately, tonight wasn't one of those times. Tonight she didn't want to be confronted and he didn't want to confront her and with simultaneous tilts of their heads they both silently agreed to pretend that he believed her. He picked up her cell and tossed the broken case into the trash. "It's late, you should get some sleep. Walter wants to talk to us at breakfast." Oliver stood up and extended his hand.

Felicity took the hand Oliver offered and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "He wasn't upset I didn't make it to dinner, was he?"

Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder. "Of course not."

"Have you been in that chair all night?" She asked with concern.

"It's actually pretty comfortable." He wasn't lying. Oliver knew uncomfortable and had slept under far worse conditions.

"You really didn't need to do that." She rested her hand against his arm and gave it a slight squeeze.

Sometimes his partner amazed him. She had jumped out of an airplane and allowed herself to be used as bait for him, but she thought him spending a night by her side in an armchair, that probably cost more than a month of her rent, was beyond the call of friendship. He steered her towards the bed and pulled the covers down. "Come on, time to get some sleep." She got into bed and he removed her glasses, placed them on the nightstand and sat her cell beside them. He took the empty glass from the night stand and refilled it in the bathroom. "Drink this."

"Another one? I don't want to." She whined. He put the glass into her hand. "Oliver, it'll make me have to get up and pee again."

"Hmph." His eyes sought out the ceiling in the darkness. Felicity's capacity to argue with him over her own wellbeing never failed to try his patience or to make him want to protect her all the more."You'll thank me when you don't wake up with a pounding headache."

He could hear her drinking the water. The glass and her hand brushed against his arm. "Happy?"

He placed the glass on the nightstand. "Yes, very." Oliver turned off the bathroom light and stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do. He was still wearing his suit pants and button down shirt. Earlier, when Felicity had gotten ready for bed, she'd asked him to stay with her until she fell asleep. He'd dragged an armchair over to the side of the bed and sat down taking her hand in his. He'd fallen asleep shortly after she did as all the sleepless nights since she'd been taken had finally caught up with him. When she was missing, having Felicity out of sight and beyond his protection was almost more than he could bear. After he got her text, the afternoon she was discharged from the hospital, informing him she was spending the night with Vic, he nearly went out of his mind with worry. Even though he knew she was safe, he'd spent the entire night before the funeral pacing the alley across from Vic's building. Oliver didn't relax until Felicity's hand slid into his outside of the funeral home. Now, as he stood in the doorway, he felt awkward - it seemed presumptuous to sit down beside her. There was another guest room next door, he'd just go to that room.

"Are you planning on sleeping standing up?" Felicity asked with a yawn.

He couldn't help but smile. "No. I was just thinking."

"Well, stop. I can't sleep if you're hovering." He moved to resume his position in the chair when she said, "Not in the chair. You need your rest too." She patted the bed. "I'm sure you've had less sleep than me this week."

Oliver froze. Since the moment he learned that Felicity had been kidnapped, the line he'd drawn in the sand for himself had begun to blow away. When he downloaded the photo of a bound and beaten Felicity from Richie Thompson, everything he felt for her crystallized. He was in love with her and he'd do anything to keep her safe and by his side. Now that she was safe, he was still certain of his feelings but how to move forward, without ruining everything between them, continued to elude him. As he stood there debating whether or not to get into her bed, he reminded himself of the promise he made the day she told him his mom's secret about Thea. When he confronted Felicity about what she was keeping from him, she'd told him she was afraid to lose him. He told her that she would never lose him and as he spoke those words he promised himself he would never let his feelings for her screw things up between them. He was never going to do anything to jeopardize their friendship. As much as she feared losing him, he suspected, he feared losing her more.

The night of Slade's attack on the city, marked the appearance of the first chink in his resolve to keep things platonic. From the moment Slade reappeared in his life, Felicity had been by his side. She encouraged him to keep fighting when all seemed hopeless and yelled at him when he allowed his own fears to lead him towards surrender. When Felicity told him that the way to defeat Slade was to make Slade outthink him, he instantly thought of the cameras in the mansion. Slade was always ahead of them because he was always watching them. Oliver decided to use the cameras against Slade, but he had to do the unthinkable to defeat him. Oliver had to offer Felicity up like a lamb to the slaughter. Slade would never have allowed Sara or Oliver close enough to administer the cure, but Slade would be unable to resist the woman Oliver loved. Slade's madness would overwhelm his reason and he'd be too distracted with vengeance to see through Oliver's plan. By underestimating Felicity, Slade had underestimated Oliver. Oliver hadn't told her what he was planning because he hadn't made up his mind that he was going through with the plan until she questioned his actions. When he first walked through the front door of the mansion he'd decided to leave her there, safe, his plan abandoned. Of course, Felicity had argued with him and her insistence that she be allowed to stay in the fight convinced Oliver to move forward with his plan knowing in his heart that she was the key to defeating Slade. In a moment that took him completely by surprise, when he stood looking into Felicity's eyes as he told her Slade took the wrong woman, he knew, without a doubt, that he was in love with her. He decided he couldn't walk out the front door with any regrets. There had been a very good chance that either or both of them would die that night and he needed her to know that he loved her.

Every word he spoke that night was carefully chosen so Slade would believe that Laurel was the wrong pressure point. Oliver also needed Felicity to understand what he was silently asking her to do. When he told her he loved her, he whispered the words because they were for her ears alone and not part of his plan. Since that night, they were both pretending that he said the words to convince Slade, but he knew that she knew that he'd meant them. After they defeated Slade, the familiar terror of losing her returned. When they'd been facing one another on the beach of Lian Yu he'd lacked the bravery to repeat the words, but he also refused to deny them. His courage had been slowly increasing and he was moving towards confessing everything when Vic's arrival in their lives had taken them both by surprise. When Vic had dismissed him from Felicity's hospital bedside, it had taken all of Oliver's willpower not to refuse or to throw Vic from the room instead. Walking out of her room was one of the hardest things he'd ever done, but the look on her face told him everything he needed to know. When the panic attack overtook her, she cried out to Oliver, not Vic, for comfort. Now that Felicity and Vic were broken up, Oliver wasn't going to let anyone come between them ever again.

As he stood over her in the dark, he knew that if he got into her bed that line would become that much fainter. If he was honest with himself, he no longer cared. If the line disappeared with the morning sun he'd be happy. Except, now was not the time for declarations of love. She just buried her mom and had enough to deal with without him forever altering their relationship.

Oliver walked over to the empty side of the bed and was about to sit down when she said, "Aren't you going to get undressed? You can't be comfortable. You're wearing a belt." He could feel himself blush and was grateful she couldn't see him in the dark. "Oliver. I know we don't like to talk about this and we pretend like it has never happened, but I've seen you in your underwear before and not just once, lots of times." He knew she was teasing by the smile in her voice. "If it makes you feel any better, its pitch black in here and I'm not wearing my glasses, so I can't see anything," and then she muttered under her breath, "that I haven't already seen a thousand times before."

"Felicity." He didn't really want to be reminded about how many times he'd been injured and required her assistance to remove his pants. There had even been an awkward conversation about her looking into breakaway pants, _like strippers wear_, to make it easier when they needed to tend to a leg injury. Roy nearly stopped breathing, he was laughing so hard. Diggle could barely keep the smirk from his face as he explained to Felicity that professional athletes wore breakaway pants too. Felicity took that as encouragement to try and design breakaway leather pants. Oliver very rarely vetoed any idea Felicity suggested, after all, she was far smarter than he and was, more often than not, right. He did, however, summarily veto the breakaway pants. Felicity had muttered something about him being resistant to change and an enemy of efficiency, but she dropped the subject.

"Oliver. I'm just saying that you will probably sleep better if you're comfortable and I won't be uncomfortable if you want to get out of your suit." Felicity yawned again. Oliver decided that it would be more awkward to insist that he needed to remain fully clothed than to get undressed. He was in his undershirt and boxer briefs when he moved to lie on top of the covers. "Under the blankets." The exasperation barely contained from her voice.

Oliver lifted the blanket and crawled into the bed, careful to keep a respectable distance between them. "Good night, Felicity." When she didn't respond, he asked in a whisper, "Felicity, are you awake?" He was then aware of the slight vibrations carrying across the bed and the change in her breathing. She was crying. Without thinking, he slid across the bed and pulled her into his chest. "Ssshh, it's okay. I'm here." She turned into him, her arm wrapping around his waist as she buried her face against his chest. He could feel her tears soaking through his undershirt and his heart ached for her. Felicity's pain had become his and he could feel tears begin to well in his own eyes. He continued to whisper soothing sounds as he gently stroked her head. Eventually, her crying stopped and her breathing evened out as she fell asleep. He hated that he was powerless to take away her pain. There was a time when he'd been foolish enough to believe that he could keep her safe from ever being hurt. As she lay in his arms he realized that there were things he'd never be able to completely protect her from, but as long as he was alive, Felicity would never have to face anything alone again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: Wow, your response to the new story has been overwhelming. Thank you to everyone who has chosen to follow and favorite this story. A big thank you to everyone who sent me a review. Your support is greatly appreciated.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

The sun was streaming through a gap in the curtains and Oliver watched as the stripe of light moved along the wall. He'd been awake, on and off, since dawn but was reluctant to wake Felicity. Her head was currently on his shoulder, an arm draped across his waist and a leg tangled between his. Having Felicity wrapped around him had played out in his imagination so many times that he'd expected the reality of it to feel different. He hadn't expected it to feel ordinary. Not ordinary, bad, but ordinary like he had awoken to her in his arms every day of his life. As his hand rested on her back, rising and falling with each breath, he didn't know how he was going to face a day when he didn't awaken to their bodies entwined. They just fit together. He shouldn't be surprised that the woman who had become integral to every aspect of his waking eighteen hours would feel instantly critical to the remaining six.

A soft tap on their bedroom door had him carefully extricating himself from Felicity's embrace. She rolled onto her back with both arms over her head and her tangle of golden curls fanned across her pillow. Oliver took a moment to appreciate how extraordinary she looked in the soft morning light before he quietly opened the door. He stepped back into the room to allow their partner entrance. Diggle had been to their base to pick up their emergency "go" bags. Oliver's duffle was over his shoulder and Felicity's bright pink suitcase was in his hand. Diggle took a second to take in the fact that Oliver was in his underwear and had clearly come from the bed that still held a sleeping Felicity. "How is she?" Diggle whispered as he set their bags down on the foot of the bed.

Oliver pulled on his suit pants and waited for Diggle to return to his side before he said, "She had a rough night. I want to let her sleep as long as she's able."

Dig placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder. "I know you want to stay with her, but I need you to get dressed."

"Has something happened?" _Would it be too much to ask for the city to go a few days without requiring the Arrow's attention? _Oliver thought bitterly.

"This isn't about our night job." Dig said, reading Oliver's mind.

At that moment their attention was drawn to the moan coming from the bed. Felicity had pulled the covers up over her head. "Why did you let me drink so much?" Diggle cleared his throat and Felicity slowly lowered the blanket. She cautiously raised herself onto her elbows. "Tea? Why did you let me drink so much herbal tea?" Diggle crossed his arms across his chest. "Morning, Dig. Oliver, most certainly did not give me lots and lots of whiskey to drink last night." Diggle shot Oliver a look and then crossed the bedroom in order to throw open the curtains. Felicity hissed and dropped face down onto Oliver's pillow and mumbled, "I thought I was your favorite."

"You are, which is why I'm going to get you a large glass of water and some ibuprofen." Diggle headed for the hallway but stopped in front of Oliver. "It's hard to believe that you dropped out of four colleges and didn't learn a decent hangover cure at one of them?"

Felicity said something into the pillow that sounded like, "Hah, four colleges."

Oliver was about to defend himself when he realized how absurd he'd sound. In a voice that Felicity couldn't hear Diggle said, "Get dressed. The paparazzi are outside and camped out at her place. We need a plan."

At Diggle's lowered voice and the sudden tension in the room, Felicity peeked one eye out at her partners and then she directed a look at Oliver. "I'll always remember you." Diggle snorted and closed the door behind him as he left. Felicity returned to burying her face in Oliver's pillow.

"Way to stick with a plan." Oliver teased as he crossed to the windows to draw the curtains.

Her voice was muffled by his pillow but he still heard her say, "I'm sorry. I know I promised not to tell Dig. I blame the alcohol, which you gave me, so it's completely your fault."

Oliver couldn't help a smile from spreading across his face. Before he closed the curtains in deference to her hangover, he took in the scene thirty floors below. There had to be at least twenty photographers and five local and national news vans parked in front of the building. Police were on foot, directing traffic. Several choice Chinese phrases passed his lips as he tugged the curtains closed. Felicity sighed and rolled onto her back. "Bless you. I never want to see the sun again."

Oliver retrieved her glasses from the nightstand, sat down on the bed, gently placed them on her face and rested his hand on her knee. He knew there was no way to spare her from whatever fresh hell the media had devised for them. "I'm going to take a shower in the other room. Once Dig gets back with your ibuprofen, you should shower and change too. I'll meet you in the dining room for breakfast."

Once her glasses were on she studied his face."This isn't about Dig being upset about me drinking too much." Felicity sat up and placed a hand over his. "Oliver, what's wrong? What did Dig say to you?"

He sighed. He'd grown up with the press and had grown immune to their flashing bulbs and lurid stories. It was the price he paid for being rich and famous. Even before the press starting linking them together, Felicity had been outraged by the tabloid press. She would spend hours trying to take down websites that carried photos and stories about the Queen family. During his mom's trial Felicity had become desperate to keep ahead of the stories speculating the details of his mom's affair with Malcolm Merlin. He remembered being touched that she was trying so hard to protect him and Thea, but he knew that she'd have to crash every server in the world to stay ahead of the story. He'd told her she was trying to bail out a boat with a teaspoon and to just let it go. Her eyes had filled with tears but she nodded her agreement. Since being ousted from QC, his mom's murder and Thea's disappearance, the press had become even more rabid. Everything with Felicity was just adding fuel to an already blazing fire. "The paparazzi are out front. I think we might be crashing with Walter for a little longer."

Felicity squeezed his hand, pushed the blankets from her legs and left their bed. She moved to the bag Dig left behind for her. She smiled as she lifted her tablet from within. "Lance promised to let Diggle into my apartment to get a few things." Stroking the tablet she whispered, "I missed you." Dig entered on cue and handed Felicity two pills which she popped into her mouth and swallowed with the water he handed her. She drank the entire glass and smiled gratefully at their partner. "Thank you." She sat down on the edge of the bed and opened her tablet. Dig shot Oliver a warning glance and he felt himself go cold with dread. From the look on his friend's face he knew that the press wasn't singing the same old tune. Her finger swiped across the screen and her face fell as her eyes scanned the display. She dropped the tablet back onto the bed and picked up her bag. "I'm going to take a shower." Before she closed the bathroom door behind her, she said, "Oliver, it's not your fault. It's all going to be okay."

Oliver waited for the bathroom door to close before he retrieved her tablet. His eyes flew to the bathroom door as soon as he finished reading the headline, _Murdered Moms Bring Lovers Back Together_. There were three pictures below the headline, Moira and Donna both appeared in mug shots and Oliver and Felicity were standing side by side with their fingers entwined at her mom's graveside. Oliver tossed the tablet to Dig, who gave the screen a passing look. "This is actually the tamest of the articles. I'm not an expert at this, but it might be time to bring in a publicist."

"A publicist? I'm not dignifying any of these lies with any kind of statement." Oliver was a firm believer in, _no comment_. He just needed to keep Felicity out of their line of fire until a fresher, juicier, story captured the paparazzi's attention. Maybe he could convince her to go on vacation. "Do you think Lyla would feel up to a week at a spa with Felicity?"

Diggle sat down on the bed. "Oliver, I don't think this is just going to go away. The press always circles back to the two of you."

"You want me to hire a publicist to spin our relationship?" Oliver asked in disbelief. The first time Oliver returned from Lian Yu with Diggle and Felicity, he quickly realized that the balance of power and loyalty had shifted amongst the three of them. The five months Oliver was away gave his two partners a chance to bond and to get to know one another without him. As close as he was to both Dig and Felicity, he knew that they were closer. If Dig had to choose between Oliver and Felicity, he wouldn't hesitate to pick Felicity. This certainty was what caused Oliver to be surprised by Dig's suggestion. Dig had never been comfortable with Felicity's public visibility in Oliver's life.

Diggle held the tablet for Oliver to view as he swiped his finger across the screen. "Oliver, the press is speculating that Felicity staged her own kidnapping. That she plotted with her mom to extort money from you. Some are even going as far as saying that she is the one who shot Donna and Richie Thompson to cover up her involvement. There is even speculation that she was involved in your mom's death and now Thea's disappearance. This isn't just about sex, Oliver. They are implying she's a murderer." Diggle's finger swiped across the tablet once more. _Vegas Gold Digger Eyes Billion Dollar Widowhood_. This headline was accompanied by a picture of Oliver standing with his back to Donna's open grave, Felicity's hands moving to rest on his chest, except it looked like she might be about to push him into the open grave. Oliver took the tablet from Dig with shaking hands. The article speculated that Felicity was only working with Oliver to reclaim Queen Consolidated and his fortune so she could marry him and then murder him in order to inherit everything.

If it weren't so outrageous it might be funny. "She wouldn't need to murder me to get her hands on everything. She's had access to all of my accounts from the very beginning. Everything I have has always been hers for the taking." As he said the words, Oliver knew he meant more than just his money.

"You and I know that Felicity could've taken you for your last nickel whenever she wanted to, but they don't know that." Eyeing the bed, Dig said, "They might not be right about all the details, but we both know that it is only a matter of time before the two of you will be together for real." Oliver shot him a look, but Dig continued, "I know you think you need to keep your feelings for her a secret in order to protect her from all of this, but it isn't working. I think you're actually making it worse. I'm not saying get together in order to get the press off your backs, but I think if you were actually together and not doing this dysfunctional push-pull thing the two of you've got going on it might actually be easier on both of you." This wasn't the first time the two friends had this argument. When Dig learned what Oliver told Felicity in the mansion, Dig had calmly told him to man-up and admit the truth to her before she got hurt. The conversation was resumed after Felicity started to date Vic and Oliver had become irascible and short tempered. Dig had reminded Oliver that it was his own damn fault that Felicity had started dating someone else.

"Except, they would be speculating that I'm dating my would be murderer." Oliver stood up and placed his hand on the bathroom door. He turned to face Dig. "How can you ask me to put her through everything being the girlfriend of Oliver Queen would entail? They wouldn't talk about how much I love her, they'd be waiting for me to cheat on her or screw everything up." Oliver dragged his hands over his head. "I won't do that to her. She deserves better."

Dig stood up and walked to the bedroom door. "You need to ask yourself just who it is you're trying to protect by not telling her that you're in love with her, Felicity or yourself?"

**Notes: Next up - Oliver and Felicity are stubborn. It's a good thing we love them.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes: Thank you to everyone who is following the story and those who took the time to send me a note. I look forward to hearing from you.**

**Chapter 3 is setting up the action to come. I thought I'd give everyone a Friday surprise with an extra chapter this week.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

Walter sat at the head of his large dining room table. Felicity, uncharacteristically quiet, was seated to his left and pouring herself a third cup of coffee when Walter shifted from idyll chit chat to business. "Now that Felicity has been returned to us safely, we need to reschedule the dinner with the board. I think we have enough votes to put you back in charge of QC. We will, of course, wait the appropriate number of days for Felicity to grieve, but once she is done sitting Shiva, I think we should schedule the dinner."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Felicity said.

"What?" Oliver asked in disbelief. "This is what we've been working towards all summer."

"I don't mean it's a bad idea for you to get your company back. I just don't think I should be publicly involved." Felicity said as she pushed food around her plate.

"Is this about the papers?" Oliver asked in alarm.

"Yes, Oliver, this is about the papers." Felicity gave Walter an apologetic look. "I think that the board will be reluctant to vote you back in as CEO while the papers are claiming you're involved with a murderer who might be planning to do you in. That won't be very good for stock prices."

"No one believes that crap." Oliver said trying to remain calm. He was uncomfortable having a fight with her in front of his step-father.

"Oliver, my own mother believed that we were dating and that you were hiding billions of dollars off-shore because of what she read in the tabloids. Flaunting me in the face of the board would be a mistake." Oliver could tell she was doing her best not to use her loud voice in front of Walter.

"Felicity," Walter said evenly, "the tabloids are irrelevant. I've been speaking with certain board members since your return. Remember, they were here when Oliver learned of you being taken. They saw how devastated Oliver was. In addition to the value you would bring to QC, it is obvious you two share a genuine bond and the board sees that."

"I don't want to be the reason you lose your company." Felicity's eyes were pleading with him. "They might see your feelings for me as genuine, but they are only ever going to see me as a conniving gold digger."

Oliver was at a loss for words. She just acknowledged he had feelings for her and she hadn't tripped all over herself to qualify her statement. Oliver came back to his senses when Walter cleared his throat. "I lost my company because of my actions. If I'd listened to you about Isabel and about keeping my focus on the company, I wouldn't be in this situation."

"So, listen to me now. You need to separate yourself from me, at least until you have the company back." Her voice had softened but she was giving him her, _just agree with me already because I'm always right_ face. She wasn't going to win this argument, not this time, he wasn't going to concede on this issue. He needed her by his side when he took back QC and that started with dinner with the board.

Oliver brought his hand down forcefully onto the table. Walter jumped but Felicity didn't flinch, "No, absolutely not. We're partners. We're doing this together or I'm not doing it at all." Oliver threw his napkin onto his plate.

Felicity lowered her voice as if she were trying to keep Walter from hearing her. "Oliver, you're being an idiot. Getting QC back for you and Thea is the priority. Nothing else matters."

He leaned across the table and took her hand. "You matter. If we put distance between us they'll think I believe the lies. I'm not giving the press any more ammunition."

"It only matters that I know you don't believe them." She withdrew her hand from his and looked down at her plate. "I've decided to forgo sitting Shiva. I'm going to leave town for a few days. It will give you time to meet with the board and distance yourself from me."

"Leaving town? Where are you going?" Oliver's heart began to race.

"I spoke to my mom's landlord. I need to clean out her place before the end of the month, or I need to pay another month's rent."

"When?" Oliver asked.

She shrugged. "As soon as I can book a flight."

"You'll do no such thing. You can use my plane." Walter said.

Felicity shook her head. "Walter, you've done enough already."

"I insist. You might have things you will want to bring back. It will be easier with my plane." Walter pulled his cell from his jacket's inside pocket.

"Thank you." Felicity smiled. Oliver had gone quiet as fear began to grip his heart. She was leaving him. Turning her attention back to Oliver she said, "I'll only be gone for a few days. When I return, I'll be able to go back to my place and we can avoid public appearances together until the press moves on." She sighed audibly. "Oliver, we'll still see each other."

Oliver was furious and he no longer cared that Walter was witnessing their exchange. She wasn't going to run away and leave him behind."No, I'm done hiding from the press and I'm done with putting distance between us." A momentary look of shock passed across her face before she got her features back under control. "I'm going with you."

Felicity closed her eyes and began to rub her forehead. "Oliver, that's defeating the purpose. You need to stay here and manage the board and the press."

"This isn't up for discussion." Realizing he sounded a bit like a caveman and that she never responded well to his _Arrow_ voice, he took a deep breath and continued with a softer tone. "You're not facing this alone. We'll come up with a plan while we're away."

"Felicity, let Oliver accompany you. While you're away, I will consult with the family publicists and we will figure out the best way to manage the press." Walter raised his hand as Felicity started to protest. "Starling City is experiencing a crisis after two consecutive terrorist attacks. People are abandoning the city. We need our corporate citizens to stay put in order to convince the public that their city will be rebuilt better than ever. Queen Consolidated needs a Queen at the helm - it needs Oliver and Oliver needs you. When you return, we will have our meeting with the board and we will take back what belongs to this family." Oliver gave his step-father a grateful look. Walter had an uncanny knack for disarming Felicity when she was in full bore stubborn mode.

"Who am I to argue with Walter Steele?" Felicity said as she rose from the table. She placed a kiss on Walter's cheek. It was all Oliver could do to not role his eyes at how easily persuaded she was by Walter. If Walter hadn't been there he was convinced their fight would've continued until she called him an ass and stormed off. "I better let my mom's landlord know I'm coming." Felicity hesitated for a moment as Oliver caught her gaze. He found himself narrowing his eyes at her. She dropped her eyes and quickly turned away from him. Oliver decided that she was definitely keeping secrets from him.

Oliver waited for Felicity to leave the room. "Walter, thank you for that. There isn't a day that I don't miss my parents, but I'm grateful that Thea and I have you for family."

"Oliver, we are family. I loved your mother and I love Thea, as if she were my own. Moira loved you and Thea might be angry with you but don't think for a moment that she doesn't love you. Having you around makes their absence less pronounced. I can't replace your father, but I will do my best to stand in for him, if you'll let me." Walter paused as he regained control of his emotions. "We have had setbacks, but we are all going to get through this together." Walter rose from the table and Oliver stood, extending his hand. Walter took Oliver's hand and pulled him into an embrace. "Take care of Felicity." Walter pulled away, but held onto Oliver's arms, his voice heavy with emotion. "Our time with the people we love is finite. I've been watching the two of you for some time now. What we think is important can seem trivial and petty when we run out of time sooner than we're prepared for. Don't push away someone you love because you think it is too hard or too complicated. Trust me when I say, regret is a terrible thing to live with when it comes to love." He released his grip and cleared his throat. "I'll have my assistant make all the necessary arrangements for your trip to Las Vegas."

Twenty-four hours later, Oliver and Felicity were seated side by side on Walter Steele's private jet, his fingers laced through hers. The moment the pilot announced they were making their descent into Las Vegas, her spine went rigid and her grip on his fingers began cutting off the circulation in his hand. Since the moment she announced she planned on taking this trip he'd been filled with dread, now, as he watched her, he felt adrenalin coursing through his veins. Oliver wondered what Felicity was keeping from him because the emotions that were roiling off of her had him on edge. She had spent the entire flight staring out the small window, her bottom lip worried between her teeth. He wanted nothing more than to take her lip between his own and distract her from whatever terrible place her mind had taken her. He'd been wanting to kiss her for a long time, maybe since the moment he met her, but now the desire to do so was his constant companion. Every moment he'd spent with her since Donna's funeral just cemented his knowledge that he was in love with her and he wanted her to be his partner in everything. _Keep it together, Oliver_. "Felicity," he said quietly as he squeezed her hand. He waited until she turned to face him. "You don't need to do this. You can wait at the hotel and I can clean out your mom's place."

A smile spread across Felicity's face and Oliver felt the grip anxiety had around his chest begin to loosen. "You're just full of surprises. Laundromats and now packing services? Who are you and what have you done with Oliver Queen?"

"Ex-billionaires have to learn to get by." He smiled back at her, relieved that she was teasing him again.

Felicity raised her eyebrows at him as she leaned towards him. She whispered conspiratorially, "I hate to break it to you, but private jets don't count as," she raised her casted arm and made quote marks with her fingers, "_getting by_."

Oliver shrugged. In his opinion, using his step-father's jet did qualify as getting by. There was a time when he had no fewer than three jets at his disposal. He no longer believed, as he had before the island, that money made you a better person, but it sure did make life easier. In the five years Oliver had been away from home, he'd grown accustomed to doing without. On the island, his life had been about surviving, food, water and shelter with some hand to hand combat training thrown in. The life of privilege he'd lived before the Gambit sank had become a dream to him. Once he was shot by Yao Fei, clean sheets, a soft bed, pillow, hot running water, plentiful food, drink and women all seemed like a fairy tale to him - impossible to believe in.

When he first returned to Starling City, the comforts his family's wealth could buy seemed shameful to him. How could his family enjoy so much at the expense of so many? That first night home, the richness of the food made him sick, the softness of the bed felt suffocating and the size of his bedroom made him feel exposed and vulnerable. The only luxury that proved better than he remembered was the hot shower he took shortly after returning to the mansion. As he stood under the steaming water he imagined washing the five years of pain, fear and suffering down the drain and resuming the life he'd left behind. The shower had been invigorating and he felt like a new man as he stepped onto the plush bath mat, but then reality caught up with him when he saw his naked reflection in the mirror. He'd known his body was different and that it had become hard, strong and irrevocably damaged over the past five years. He knew that ugly scars marred his flesh and would either be a source of morbid curiosity or repulsion. However, what unsettled him wasn't his disfigured flesh but the coldness of his eyes. The person looking back at him was vacant, lethal and death personified. His reflection was that of a stranger and in that moment he knew he'd come home to die, not to live. He was a killer and his life would come to a violent end fulfilling his father's dying wish because there was no place for what he'd become amongst his family and friends.

His plans were upended the day he sought out the girl in IT for help with a bullet riddled laptop. The first time he met Felicity he'd felt present for the first time since he'd come home. Everything he'd done until the moment he walked into her office was for the mission. Every time he sought her out again it was for himself. When he lied about the laptop and she tilted her head at him, something inside of him broke free. When he smiled at her that first time he realized he didn't want to die, he wanted to live. He often wondered if he hadn't met Felicity that day would he have saved Diggle from the curare laced bullet that very night. He wanted to believe that he would've saved Diggle, no matter what, but before Felicity there had only ever been crossing names off a list. Without Felicity, Diggle might've become an acceptable casualty in his personal war. After Felicity, there was hope for more. He revealed himself to both Diggle and Felicity because he suddenly wanted to have a future and he didn't know how to make that happen being the man he'd become. He needed Diggle and Felicity to help him reclaim his humanity. When they believed he could be more, their belief in him made him believe it too.

"Earth to Oliver." Felicity said with more than a little concern written across her brow.

"What?" Oliver was unsure if she'd asked him something.

"Where did you go?" Her thumb rubbing gently against the back of his hand in soothing circles.

Oliver thought about dodging her question, but he suddenly wanted her to know. "I was thinking about the first time we met and how you saved my life by not believing the story about my coffee shop being in a bad neighborhood." Without realizing what he was doing, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

Her fingers fluttered to her blushing face and her mouth formed a small 'O' that made him think of his true confession in the mansion. The moment ended as quickly as it started and she laughed. "No one would've believed that ridiculous story. I don't deserve any credit for that - I wasn't anything special."

Oliver could feel a small bubble of anger forming in his chest. "Don't, don't say that. You're remarkable and I never want to hear you say anything different." Before she could respond the jet touched down and they were pressed back into their seats. Once again her fingers had a death grip on his hand. He watched her with concern as her breathing became shallow and he could see her rapid pulse thrumming in her neck. When the aircraft came to a stop, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She looked over at him and she appeared relaxed and back in control.

"Welcome to Las Vegas." She said brightly. As she turned to look out the window he heard her whisper under her breath. "Home sweet home."

He really hoped this trip wasn't a terrible mistake.

**Notes: Thank you for reading. **

**Next up, Oliver gets a glimpse at the life Felicity left behind in Las Vegas.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes: Thank you to everyone who has sent me a review and chosen to follow or favorite the story. Your feedback is appreciated and is excellent motivation to keep writing.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

"You're being ridiculous." Felicity huffed. "I'm, literally, walking ten feet to the front door." To say things had been tense since their plane touched down would be an understatement. When Felicity saw that the SUV that had been rented for them was black, she went on a very loud tangent on how they were in the desert in the summer and that a black vehicle was not something that anyone in their right mind would drive, unless they wanted to be roasted alive. When Oliver offered to exchange the SUV for a lighter, less heat absorbent, color she told him that he was being _ridiculous_. It didn't get any better once they started driving. Felicity had never been to her mom's apartment and they'd gotten lost looking for the landlord. Felicity had been snapping at him for following the GPS and not her own memory of the area. The GPS had been right, but Oliver wasn't suicidal and had no intention of pointing that fact out to her. Oliver realized that coming back to Vegas to face cleaning out her mom's place was causing Felicity stress and that she wasn't really angry with him. If she needed to use her loud voice on him, he was more than willing to take it. Their current disagreement was whether or not Oliver was going to accompany Felicity to retrieve the keys to her mom's place from the landlord. "He's just going to hand me the keys and I'll be right back. You'll barely notice I'm gone."

"Fine. I'll wait here." Oliver said through a clenched jaw. Not waiting for him to change his mind Felicity sprinted from their rented SUV and knocked on the landlord's door. He wasn't angry with her over her over-reaction to the color of the rental car or about getting lost, but he was beginning to lose his cool over the text messages she was receiving and sending every few minutes. When he finally asked her who was sending her all the messages she had shrugged her shoulders saying friends sending condolences. It was all he could do not to tear her cell from her hands. Every text she received was increasing her anxiety level. He could practically taste the adrenalin in the air.

Felicity returned to the SUV, clutching a key in her hand. "He said that he'll swing by later. I just need to call him when we are almost ready to leave."

"Do you want me to drop you off and I'll go get packing materials or do you want to come with me?" Oliver asked in a quiet voice.

All the color drained from her face. "Drop me off, by myself? Why?"

Oliver turned to face her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I thought maybe you'd want a chance to be alone in her apartment."

Her eyes welled up with tears and she clutched his hand. "I don't want," she took a shuttering breath, "I can't face it alone."

"Hey, you won't have to. I won't leave you, okay." Oliver waited for her to nod.

Felicity programmed her mom's address into the GPS. She leaned back into her seat, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Did you bring your quiver?"

Oliver took in their surroundings quickly, trying to assess what danger he missed. He noticed a small smile on her lips and began to relax. "No, why?"

"I feel like I should apologize and thought it might be easier to say to your quiver." She titled her head to face him, eyes open and a big smile on her face.

"My quiver is very forgiving." A wide grin spread across his own face. He reached back out for her hand. "It's okay, you don't have anything to apologize for."

"Thank you." She said as she squeezed his hand.

Twenty minutes later, after purchasing packing supplies, they were standing inside Donna Smoak's apartment. Oliver wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but what they found wasn't it. He'd been fearing the worst, shag carpeting, leopard print – well, everything, drug paraphernalia and maybe some dogs playing poker on a velvet background. However, Donna's one bedroom apartment was small, neat and incredibly beige. What he hadn't expected was how heartbreakingly unsentimental the apartment was. Not one picture of Felicity, not one drawing or report card that would let anyone know that this woman had given birth to and raised the amazing Felicity Smoak. Oliver had always been a little embarrassed by the number of photographs of him his mother had strewn about the mansion. When he returned, she seemed to put up a new photo of him up every day. When he'd complained, she told him that she had five years of photos to make up for. He stopped complaining after that. He couldn't find one photo of Felicity anywhere and his heart ached for his partner.

Even with Felicity having only one working arm, they had packed up all of her mom's belongings in just under four hours. In exchange for all of her mom's furniture, the landlord agreed to help Oliver load the SUV he'd rented. Felicity was bringing back a single suitcase that she had filled with items from her mom's bedroom. Oliver hadn't asked what she was keeping and Felicity hadn't volunteered. Everything else was going to Goodwill. Oliver had no love for Donna but it saddened him to think that her whole life had fit into the back of an Escalade and would be sifted through by strangers. No one's life should amount to so little.

After emptying the SUV at the nearest Goodwill, Felicity insisted they stop at a drive-in diner. A teenager on roller skates came out to their car and took their order. Felicity assured him that even though the place was totally cheesy, the milkshakes were out of this world. After a waitress took their order, Felicity excused herself to use the bathroom. When she hadn't returned after fifteen minutes, Oliver went looking for her. He found her behind the restaurant, by the dumpsters. She was pacing back and forth with her eyes glued to the ground as she spoke on her cell. Oliver quickly returned to the car before she spotted him. She returned to the car shortly after he did and they sat quietly while they waited for their food. She was staring out of her window and absently clutching at something inside her purse. When the food came, she moved her bag to the floor and took her milkshake from him with a smile. Instead of taking a sip, she resumed staring out her window. Oliver watched as the condensation from the cup dripped onto her thighs and between her bare legs - she didn't even flinch. "So, I was thinking of getting a lemur for our base as a team mascot." Oliver said, trying to determine if she was even remotely present.

"Okay," she said absently. Oliver felt defeated. He knew she was hurting and hiding something from him, but he didn't know how to break through to her. Her head suddenly whipped around at him. "A lemur? Why would you get us a lemur as a mascot? We need something that flies, like ah," she bit her bottom lip and furrowed her brow, "a flying squirrel."

Oliver had been teasing but now he was feeling a little insulted. "You think our mascot should be a flying squirrel?"

"Yeah, something that can't really fly but jumps from great heights. Although, having to feed it nuts would be a problem. It would have to be me or the squirrel and I hope you'd pick me over a squirrel. Squirrels would probably be terrible for all my wires. Definitely no squirrels." Felicity finally took a sip of her milkshake. "A Draco lizard would probably be more appropriate - greener at least." Felicity reached over and grabbed an onion ring from the paper basket on the console between them. "I have enough to take care of between you and Diggle, we don't need a pet, and I actually thought we brought Roy in as our mascot."

Oliver laughed when he thought of Roy's reaction to learning he was the new _Team Arrow_ mascot. "It was between the lemur and telling you I spilled a latte on your computer. You kind of disappeared on me for a few minutes."

She took another sip of her milkshake. "Mmmm, good right?" When she saw that Oliver would not be deterred, she said with a sigh, "It's just, worlds colliding, you know?"

"I'm not following." Oliver shifted in his seat so he had a better view of her face.

"Didn't you ever wonder why I didn't go running for the hills once you let me in on your secret?" She asked. He had wondered, but he'd always been afraid to ask her. He feared that if he asked her why she stayed, she'd realize what a colossally dumb choice she'd made and leave him and never look back. He was still afraid to say it, so instead, he shrugged. She tilted her head and smiled at him. "Come on, Oliver? What normal girl, what normal law abiding girl would tie herself to a vigilante shooting arrows into people whose names appear in invisible ink in a book?"

"You're a normal girl." Oliver said defensively. "Albeit a genius, but you're normal. You're the most normal person I know."

Felicity laughed. "What is truly frightening about that statement is that I know the people you know and you're probably right, I am the most normal." She took another sip of her shake. "I was going to say Diggle is more normal than me, but with Deadshot , Lyla and A.R.G.U.S. I might actually have that over him."

"So, what are you telling me? You stayed because you're abnormal?" Oliver did his best to keep a straight face.

She scrunched her face up at him in response. "I'm just saying that you weren't the first criminal I'd come across. Hell, you weren't even the most intimidating criminal I'd come across." She looked back out the window. "So much of what my life was, here in Vegas, it was like it happened to someone else. I thought if I could just keep this place away from the life I created in Starling, it would be like it never happened. I never wanted you to see me in the context of all this." She gestured towards her window.

Oliver knew exactly what she was talking about. When he thought about his time before and during the island, it was like watching a grainy movie about someone else. He'd always been reluctant to share what happened to him with Felicity because he feared if she knew the truth about the things he'd done and experienced, she might never look at him the same way. Now that he was in love with her, the thought of her rejecting him because of his past actions had a vice grip on his heart. "I get that."

"I know you do." Felicity put her shake in the cup holder and reached for his hand. "I think you more than anyone else gets me and you don't even know the truth about me."

"Is that what all these texts are about?" Oliver asked squeezing her hand. "You can tell me anything."

"Oliver, your grandfather was the governor. Your father started a business with an idea and in less than ten years grew it into a successful multi-national billion dollar company." Felicity said as a way of explanation for a question that he didn't know had been asked.

Oliver suspected that Felicity was about to tell him she wasn't good enough for him, which was insane. "Felicity, my parents were involved in a murder conspiracy that was responsible for the death of over five hundred people. Having lots of money and power didn't make them good people."

"And yet, they were Queens. Your mom would've been elected mayor, buildings are named after your dad. My mom was a cocktail waitress with a rap sheet a mile long and I'm pretty sure my dad was no prize. The life I led before MIT, you wouldn't recognize it. I'm more than from the wrong side of the tracks. It's more than I grew up poor. Be honest, if you hadn't needed help with the laptop you stole from Lawton, our paths would never have crossed. Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak don't belong in the same orbit. The more you know the truth about me, the more unthinkable we really are."

"Bullshit," he said angrily. Felicity gaped at him in shock. "That's bullshit and I don't accept it. I know you don't judge me for my parent's failings, why would you assume I'd judge you for yours? We are not our parents."

"This isn't about who my parents are, it's about who I was. Oliver, I know you don't care, but with everything that's happened with Vic looking for the Arrow's accomplice, my kidnapping and the paparazzi still looking for a juicy Oliver Queen story we need to be smart about this and not emotional. Be honest, my mom handed the press a story on a silver platter. It's only a matter of time before my past gets dug up. I've gotten rid of my digital footprint prior to MIT, but someone only needs to come here and start asking questions. Everything could come crashing down on us." Felicity's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm a liability to you now."

He knew that the press would continue to be relentless with Felicity. That morning the tabloids were full of intimate pictures of Oliver and Felicity holding hands, Oliver holding Felicity in a tight embrace and the photo that was making the rounds on all the morning television shows, Oliver holding Felicity's shoulders as he pressed a kiss against her forehead. Vic's absence from the funeral and his publicist's confirmation that he and Felicity had broken up were just fueling the fire. Maybe they should hire a publicist, he thought glumly. If they put themselves out there for the press, maybe they'd back off. Oliver leaned across the console and took Felicity's face in between his hands. "You are not, have not and will never be a liability to me. You make me stronger. Do you understand?" Felicity averted her eyes and tried to pull away from him. He took her chin firmly in his hand and raised her eyes to meet his. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," she said weakly as she lowered her eyes.

"Felicity, look at me." Oliver waited for her to comply. "Nothing your mom said to you the night on the docks is true. You know that, right?"

"Oliver."

"You are none of the things she said."

"Oliver," she sighed.

"Felicity, please listen. When I see you, this is what I know. "You are smart. You are funny. You are kind. You are trusting. You are brave. You are strong. You are terrifying. You are beautiful and not just the way you look. You are lit from within and every time I look at you I'm amazed that you want to have anything to do with me. I will tell you what is unthinkable, my life without you in it." Felicity's eyes filled with tears and she gave him a weak smile. Oliver released her and leaned back into his seat. Felicity turned to stare out the window again. He knew it was her grief and anger talking, but he was unsettled by her despondency. In time, they would be able to move past this, like they'd moved past every other obstacle thrown at them. He just needed to be the reassuring voice in her head the way she'd become the voice in his. Whenever Oliver went someplace too dark in his mind, it was always Felicity's voice that pulled him out. He couldn't bring her mom back and he couldn't make her childhood the one she deserved but he could be the voice of encouragement.

"I'm not really hungry anymore." Felicity said as she put her half-finished milkshake into the paper bag with her untouched burger. Oliver gathered up all their trash and walked across the covered walkway and deposited their trash. He turned back and was struck by the number of cars sitting in the drive-in. There were couples, groups of friends and families. He wondered about the conversations taking place inside each of the cars. A woman's high pitch laugh brought his attention to a young couple, probably out on a date. The young man was feeding french fries to his date, but he was intentionally missing her mouth. The woman had dabs of ketchup on her nose and cheek which the man was playfully removing with kisses . He wondered what it would be like to be sitting in a car with Felicity and not have so much grief between them. More than anything, Oliver wanted to be able to make her laugh. He turned back towards her and found that Felicity was watching him. She smiled and waved to him. He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face as he waved back.

Oliver climbed back into the SUV and began to enter the address of their hotel into the car's GPS. Felicity placed her hand over his and her eyes sought his. "Would you mind if we made a stop? There is someone I'd like to see. Someone, I'd like you to meet." She gave him her full genuine Felicity smile and he would do whatever it took to keep it on her face.

"Sure, whatever you want to do." Oliver tried to give her his most reassuring smile. Felicity sighed as she relaxed against the seat. He couldn't imagine who she wanted to introduce him to.

**Notes: Thank you for reading.**

**Next up, Felicity introduces Oliver to someone from her past.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes: Thank you to everyone has sent me a review, especially to those of you who write to me after every chapter. You guys are incredible. Thank you to everyone has chosen to favorite or follow the story.**

**One week until the premier. Has it been a long five months, or is it just me? I have no doubt that all of you are eagerly anticipating season 3 too.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

Thirty minutes later, Oliver was pulling into a parking space marked, _Visitors_ at a condominium complex for fifty-five and older. Felicity didn't make a move to get out of the car, so Oliver got out and moved to the passenger side and opened her door. "Still with me?"

Felicity looked up and laughed. "Sorry, just thinking. I feel like I might regret introducing the two of you. I can see a future of secret phone calls and conspiracies against me." She got out of the car and took his hand and guided him along a neatly landscaped path that wound between the units. They stepped up onto a low porch and she knocked forcefully onto the front door before she laced her fingers back through his. Oliver could hear movement behind the door and the sound of a chain being lowered and a deadbolt being unlocked. He heard a high pitched squeal of delight and the door flew open to reveal a woman who appeared to be in her seventies. The woman was tall, 5'9", she had perfect posture and the shorts she wore revealed long slender legs. Her blonde hair was the same color as Felicity's and her blue eyes were only slightly dimmed by cataracts. She wore a huge smile that was adorned with bright cotton candy pink lipstick and her arms were outstretched already pulling Felicity into a hug. "Hi, Aunt Rosie."

The woman's grip tightened around Felicity and her voice heavy with emotion asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Without releasing her embrace she raised her head to take in Oliver. "More importantly, why didn't you tell me you were bringing me such a handsome present?"

Felicity laughed and with her casted arm still around Rosie's waist, she reached for Oliver with the other. "Aunt Rosie, may I present Oliver Queen. Oliver, this is Rose Herschel."

Oliver extended his hand but Rosie pulled him into an embrace. "We don't stand on formalities here. My Felicity has told me everything about you - you're practically family."

Oliver looked to Felicity who just shrugged, so he returned Rosie's embrace. "It's nice to meet you, Rosie."

"Come inside. We're letting all the AC out." Rosie stepped into her home and as Oliver followed behind her he breathed a sigh of relief. As he took in his surroundings he'd finally found what he'd so badly wanted to find proof of at Donna's apartment. He wanted to believe that someone who loved Felicity as much as he did had been there for her as she grew up. Rosie's walls were covered with framed pictures of her with Felicity. As he examined the photographs he knew that her childhood did have some happy stories.

Felicity disappeared into the kitchen and Oliver followed Rosie into her living room. She gestured for him to sit on the sofa and she settled in next to him, her knees gently brushing against his. Her eyes were slightly narrowed as she studied him. Oliver found himself squirming under her intense gaze. He hadn't been this nervous since meeting an armed Detective Lance when he picked Laurel up for their first date. Oliver knew that this woman's opinion carried weight and if he didn't pass muster he would be in trouble. "Felicity Megan Smoak." Rosie called out. "Stop rummaging through my cupboards and get your tail in here."

"Why isn't there any food in this house?" Felicity asked as she walked into the living room. "Oliver, the keys, please." Felicity put her hand out and Oliver reached into his pocket.

"Please, Felicity, sit down and let me take a look at you before you buy out Albertson's." Rosie gestured towards the coffee table in front of her. Felicity let out a heavy sigh but she sat down onto the coffee table facing Rosie. Her aunt placed her hands on Felicity's knees and leaned towards her. "I'm sorry about your mom." Felicity nodded and looked at a spot on the ceiling. "Did she do this to you?" Rosie gently touched Felicity's still swollen and bruised cheek and then her hand drifted to the cast.

"Indirectly." Felicity's eyes were still rooted to the ceiling.

"I'm glad you're safe. Even though there were no arrows at the scene, the papers are theorizing that the Starling City Arrow saved your life." Rosie turned to stare at Oliver. He wasn't sure if she was trying to let him know she blamed him for her kidnapping or had expected Oliver to rescue Felicity and not some masked vigilante. "If I ever meet him, I'm going to give him a huge kiss for saving my girl." Rosie's comment made Felicity laugh and brought her gaze back down to her aunt. "What? You think I'm too old to give him a thrill?"

"I have no doubt you can still thrill any man you set your sights on." Felicity laughed and this time she caught Oliver's eye. "Just between us, the Arrow did save me and I think an introduction could be arranged. We're old friends now." Felicity reached out and took the keys that were still in Oliver's hand. "I'm going to the store and I'm buying you some food."

"Let me get my purse." Rosie said, making a move to stand.

"No need." Felicity reached into her purse and held up a stuffed sock. "Donna's treat. I found her savings account in the hamper."

Rosie started to laugh. "Now, don't you go spending your vast inheritance on me."

"Don't worry," Felicity pulled another sock out of her purse. "I found her other savings account taped beneath the dresser."

Rosie's face darkened for a moment as she sized up the young blonde. "Just the grocery store. No other errands."

Felicity shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "Aunt Rosie, I'm just going to buy you groceries. I'll be right back."

"Do you hear me, Felicity Megan? Albertson's and nowhere else. You leave Donna's business alone." The woman's voice was firm and left no room for doubt that she meant business.

"Okay." Felicity widened her eyes in exasperation. "Albertson's, that's it." Oliver moved to follow her to the front door. "Stay here." Noticing the concern on his face she said, "Oliver, I'll be fine. I know you're dying to ask her for stories and I'll die of embarrassment if I have to listen. You have until I get back to ask everything you want to know."

Oliver was concerned by Rosie's comments. "What is she talking about? What about your mom's business? I know you're keeping stuff from me."

Felicity placed her hand on his arm. "I'm not doing anything but going to the grocery store and coming straight back. I promise."

Oliver was torn. He didn't want her out of his sight, but he also knew she was telling the truth. She was also correct in believing that he was ready to interrogate Rosie. He nodded and she squeezed his arm in thanks. Oliver listened as the front door gently closed behind Felicity before he turned to Rosie. "How do you know Felicity? Are you really her aunt?"

Rosie laughed. "Aren't you eager?"

Oliver smiled. "I'm not passing up this golden opportunity."

Rosie had a mischievous grin across her face. "Her mom and dad rented the apartment above my garage. I've known Felicity since the day she was born." She pointed towards the bookshelf. "There's a pink photo album on the bottom shelf, go get it for me. She'd never let me show you this if she were here."

Oliver complied and sat back down next to Rosie, the album resting against both their knees. Oliver took a deep breath as Rosie moved to open the album's cover. The secret life of Felicity Smoak was about to be revealed. A tiny sleeping baby with balled up fists was on the center of the page, along with her date of birth, weight and length. "She was tiny." Oliver remarked as he looked at her birth weight - five pounds, two ounces.

"Donna smoked throughout her pregnancy." Rosie said matter-of-factly. Noticing Oliver's disgust, she said, "Donna was a child when she had Felicity. She was young and selfish and not prepared for the demands of motherhood. Some people rise to the occasion, others let life defeat them. Donna never stopped blaming others for her poor decisions."

"She named her Felicity." Oliver said. "Some part of Donna must have felt happiness at her birth to name her that." Felicity's name was the embodiment of everything she meant to him - she was joy and happiness.

"In the beginning, I think Donna was thrilled with her newborn but then reality set in. It isn't easy to be a mom at sixteen. Donna did love Felicity, in her own way. Life is hard when you're a single mom, slogging it for tips. "Rosie turned another page. Donna was standing next to a man who was holding an infant Felicity. The man looked to be about twenty and he was wearing thick glasses.

"Is that Felicity's dad?" Oliver asked, lifting the album closer to better study the man who had broken Felicity's heart.

As if reading Oliver's mind, Rosie said, "The best thing that man ever did was leave. I never worried that Felicity would take after her mom, but sometimes I worry she is too much like her dad. He was too smart for his own good and liked to live dangerously. It was only a matter of time before he dragged it to their doorstep. He at least loved his daughter enough to walk away."

"I don't think Felicity sees it that way." Oliver said as he continued to study the young man in the photo for any resemblance to the woman he knew. Felicity's dad was roughly the same age as he was when he learned he was about to become a father. Oliver felt the familiar stab of pain as he thought of the day Sandra told him she'd miscarried and the day he learned from Amanda Waller that Sandra had lied and that his son, Connor, was very much alive. Oliver had never told anyone what Amanda had revealed to him in Hong Kong. His mother had, once again, made a decision that she thought was in the best interest of her son when she paid Sandra to lie to him about a miscarriage and to disappear with their child. It wasn't the threat against his own life that kept Oliver compliant when he woke up under Amanda's thumb in Hong Kong, it was the threat she made against his son.

When Oliver returned to Starling City he went as far as to look up Sandra and Connor, but he made no effort to contact them. At first, it seemed pointless. Why introduce himself to his son if he were going to die on his quest to right his own father's wrongs? After Diggle and Felicity dragged him back from Lian Yu he'd thought about reaching out to Sandra, but he ultimately decided against it. Oliver's return had made national news. If Sandra had wanted Oliver in their son's life she would've reached out. She'd married and her husband had adopted Connor. Although it pained him to think of another man raising his child, he'd done his research and knew that Sandra had chosen a good man - a man who wouldn't bring danger into Connor's life. Now, with Moira's death, there was a part of him that wished Sandra would reach out, but he knew she wouldn't. Connor, now six, didn't need Oliver coming around and uprooting his life. The press would get wind of it and his son's life would become entertainment for the masses. Oliver had resigned himself to the role of sperm donor and locked Connor away in a corner of his heart. Maybe, one day, his son would seek him out and if he did, Oliver could only hope he'd be forgiven for all of his choices. Connor was another secret on the long list he was keeping from Felicity. He'd come close to telling her the night of her mom's funeral. The whiskey they shared had loosened his tongue and he'd come dangerously close to revealing all of his secrets.

"Children don't always understand what is best for them. Good parents sacrifice for their children. Sometimes parents have to sacrifice what they want most, including their own happiness, in order to keep their children safe." Rosie said as she turned another page of the album.

"Is that what he did? Did he love Felicity so much, he disappeared out of her life?" Oliver studied Rosie for her reaction.

"Jack loved his daughter and he was devoted to her, but he did what was necessary." Rosie said squeezing Oliver's hand. "She doesn't understand, she never did, but I think you might."

"Do you know where he is now?" Oliver asked.

"No idea." She studied Oliver. "I know you have resources at your disposal, but trust me when I tell you that bringing him back into her life will only bring her misery."

Oliver had no intention of causing Felicity any pain. He still wanted to know where Jack was, if only to make sure he never hurt his daughter again. A picture of Felicity in a pink tutu, her brown curly hair pulled up in a mess pony tail, drew his attention and made him laugh. "Felicity took dancing lessons?"

"I insisted. Every little girl should take lessons." Rosie pointed to a picture hanging on the far wall. It was a picture of a much younger Rosie dressed as a show girl.

"You were a show girl?" Oliver asked with a big smile.

"I was." She said proudly. "I was a damn good dancer and I made a decent enough living. When I got too old for the classier establishments, I became a choreographer and I taught dancing lessons. Felicity was one of my students, actually, she was quite possibly the worst student I ever had." Rosie laughed and her face relaxed and her eyes softened as a memory flooded her. "The spirit was willing but her feet weren't."

Oliver thought back to the last dance he'd shared with Felicity. For those brief moments he'd been happy with his arms wrapped around her as he hummed into her ear. "I don't know. She's a pretty good dancer."

"Maybe that's because she found the right partner." Rosie said knowingly.

They continued to flip through the album and Rosie had a story for every picture. Oliver smiled at Felicity with her first computer, laughed when he saw her Goth/Grunge look and beamed with pride at her triumphantly holding up her MIT diploma. He took out his phone and snapped a few pictures from the album. The next time she threatened to erase his identity or empty his bank accounts he was going to use the Goth/Grunge photo as a form of mutually assured destruction. As he held the album reverently, he turned to the woman beside him. "Thank you, for this. She was lucky to have you."

"I was lucky to have her." Rosie reached for a picture frame on the end table. "This is my daughter, Beth. She died shortly before her first birthday. She was born with a heart defect."

Oliver held the picture of the small laughing child with tufts of blonde curls. "I'm sorry. She was beautiful."

"Thank you, she was beautiful." Rosie took the photo from his hands. "She would've been the same age as Donna. When Donna moved in, young, scared and pregnant, I couldn't help but see my Beth. Felicity was like a gift and I tried to do my best by her. Donna didn't make it easy. She was too selfish to be a good mother and she was too selfish to give Felicity up to someone who could give her the life and security she deserved. They'd disappear and reappear. My husband, Al, died when Felicity was eight. I had to sell the house to pay his medical bills. I had to go where the work was and it became difficult for me to keep track of Donna. When Felicity was old enough, she'd find a way to call me to let me know where she was and that she was okay, but there were times when I couldn't protect her."

Oliver hadn't known Donna Smoak but he hated her. He hated her for not loving Felicity the way she deserved. He knew that a lot of what made Felicity, Felicity, had to be the woman sitting next to him. "I was shocked when I learned about Felicity's childhood." He admitted. "Looking at these pictures and how you talk about her, I think you're responsible for helping her to be the positive and hopeful person she is today."

"I think Felicity was wired for accepting joy where ever she finds it. She has known more pain than anyone should but she chooses to dwell on what is good in her life, not on what should've been or what she didn't have." Rosie rested her hand over his. "You make her happy."

Oliver could feel himself blushing. "She is my best friend."

"You love her." Rosie stated. She held her hand up as she continued. "She loves you. I hear how she talks about you. Since she went away to MIT she calls me every day to check on me and tell me how she is and then one day two years ago, its Oliver this and Oliver that. She never spoke about any boy with such affection. Even this Vic, character. I knew from the start she didn't love him."

Oliver was at a loss for words. His heart was hammering in his chest. Was it possible she loved him too? After all this time fighting his own feelings and pushing her away he couldn't believe that she loved him. In the beginning he knew she had a crush on him and that she enjoyed watching him work out, but attraction is different from love. Rosie was looking at him like she was expecting a response. "I care for Felicity, but we're just friends."

"Whose fault is that?" Rosie said pointedly. "Although, that might be for the best."

"You don't approve of me?" Oliver tried to hide his hurt feelings.

"What aunt wouldn't hope for a billionaire boyfriend?" Rosie winked at Oliver.

"Former billionaire." He winked back.

"Okay, former billionaire. I think she could do a lot worse than a man who is so clearly in love with her and makes her happy."

"But, you don't approve?" Oliver was trying to think of what he could've done to earn Rosie's disapproval or if his tabloid pre-island reputation was something she was familiar with.

"Oliver, I might be blonde, but I'm not that blonde. I don't think your relationship is built on her being your over qualified secretary. Felicity used to call me every night. Now she calls me in the morning. She used to go out with friends and attend concerts and go dancing, now she only talks about you and a man named John. She has also been saved by the Arrow three times. I haven't read about any other person getting that kind of attention from him, other than maybe your sister. He also showed up around the time you returned from your time away." Rosie turned his hand over and traced her fingers across his calluses. "I don't know too many CEOs with hands like these."

Oliver reflexively closed his hand into a fist. "Felicity was an excellent Executive Assistant. I valued her opinion and we became friends."

"I have no doubt that Felicity has been helpful in all your work, but cleaning out her dead mother's apartment and flipping through photo albums with a goofy grin on your face isn't the typical behavior of a boss." Rosie fixed Oliver with a knowing look.

"But, you think the Arrow would?" Oliver didn't believe Felicity had revealed his secret, but this woman seemed to be making all the right deductions.

"I think the man who is in love with Felicity would. I also know Felicity well enough to know that she wouldn't become a secretary for just anybody or fall in love with a vain billionaire playboy. I know there is more to you because I know her." Oliver was about to protest, when she raised her hand again to silence him. "Deny you're the Arrow, that's fine. All I ask is that you be careful with her heart. She has lost more than most. Please don't break her heart by promising something you cannot give her."

Before he could respond the front door opened. "Oliver, I need your muscles." Felicity asked without asking. Oliver jumped from the coach, eager to end his current conversation. Rosie's words were burning into his heart. He knew that if he told Felicity he loved her that would be it for him. He would want everything that loving her would bring - a home, a family, but he didn't know if he was capable of everything. He also knew he had to tell her everything that happened to him while he was missing. He just feared that when he told her his entire story it would be impossible for her to love him. Felicity was at the front door smiling at him. Oliver had done his best to lock his love for her away but as he looked at her smiling up at him that line in the sand was barely visible.

**Notes: Thank you for reading. I look forward to hearing from you.**

**My thoughts about Connor and how Oliver reacts to learning he has a son might be a little controversial. Shortly after the season 2 finale I had a conversation with the Laughing Duchess (if you haven't read her fic, I recommend you check her out). We were talking about how the show would handle children to the show now that both Oliver and Diggle are fathers. The cynics in us remember how another favorite show struggled when a baby named Connor was introduced. As we started talking about Hong Kong and what would keep Oliver from running, we thought it would be interesting if the baby Oliver thought was dead turned out to be Amanda's leverage. We also thought it would be nice if Oliver didn't have to be devastated by another secret of Moira's in the present. I'm sure the show will go in a different direction, but I thought I would explore the idea in this story.**

**Next up: Oliver and Felicity check into their hotel.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes: Another bonus chapter for this week as a thank you for all the reviews and story followers.**

**This summer my fellow writers explored the trope, truth or dare. Oliver and Felicity play their own version.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

Oliver stood at the hotel's front desk as he waited for the keys to their complimentary suite. Felicity was standing closely at his side, wearing an enormous floppy hat and a comically large pair of sunglasses. She had her chin down and was doing her best to remain unseen. As soon as the desk clerk handed him the keys, Oliver steered Felicity towards the private elevators that led to the VIP suite Walter had reserved for them. Once they were alone in the elevator he teased, "Are you that ashamed to be seen with me?"

"What?" Felicity raised her chin slightly, before she remembered herself and resumed studying the floor. "No, of course not. I just shouldn't be seen."

"You should've told me to pack the hood and mask so you could borrow them." Oliver deadpanned as he stepped aside to allow Felicity out onto their floor. He opened the door to their suite and she scooted by him. She removed the hat and glasses as soon as he closed the door. "Do you want to tell me what that was all about? I'm pretty sure the press hasn't followed us."

Felicity had moved to the floor to ceiling windows to take in the view of the strip. The sun hadn't set, but once it did they'd have a spectacular view of the city. Oliver was about to ask again when she spoke. "Did you ever play truth or dare in school?"

Oliver moved cautiously to the window. There had been lots of games of truth or dare when he was in high school. Back then, he always asked for the dare since they usually involved alcohol, jumping off of things or kissing girls. He hesitated. "Yeah, a few times."

"How about we play now?" Felicity asked brightly. Oliver was suddenly uncomfortable with the suggestion. He didn't like the idea of playing games with Felicity. Noticing the look of trepidation on his face, she said, "Relax. Instead of truth or dare what if we just play, truth?"

"I can do that?" Oliver said sounding more tentative than he wanted to.

"Okay, you go first." She smiled.

He gave a nervous laugh. "Why the disguise?"

Felicity walked over to the sofa and sat down. "Remember, you said you wanted the truth." He nodded and moved towards the sofa. "You probably picked the worst traveling companion to take to Sin City. I'm not exactly welcome in this part of Las Vegas. I've been eighty-sixed from every casino in town and if I step foot on any casino floor in Nevada, I could be arrested."

Oliver dropped heavily onto the sofa. "Okay, I was not expecting that."

Felicity turned to face him. "You know I count cards."

Oliver smiled, remembering the first time they went into the field together. "I do."

"The spring before I turned eighteen, I used a fake ID and took six casinos for a total of five hundred thousand dollars." Felicity folded her arms across her chest. Before Oliver could ask a question , she continued, "I immediately deposited the money in an offshore account I'd established. Once the casinos had realized what I'd done, and the cops figured out who I was, the money was already gone. I was arrested, but because I was a minor and going to MIT, the judge went easy on me and I was given probation and received a lifetime ban from all casinos in NV. Even though my juvenile record is sealed, if I ever step foot on a casino floor the Gaming Commission can request a warrant for my arrest for violating my probation."

He placed his hands on her arms and squeezed gently. "What did you do with a half million dollars?"

Felicity bit her lip. "Technically, it's my turn to ask a question, but I'll answer anyway. Well, let's see." Felicity raised her hand in a fist and began to raise her fingers one by one as she gave him her list. "I needed plane fare to get to MIT. It was my first time ever on a plane, so I might've bought a first class ticket. Even though my tuition was covered by a full scholarship, I still needed money for books, food and boarding. I kept ten thousand for emergencies and as mad money so I could have fun at school. I bought Rosie's condo and paid off her medical bills. I paid my mom's rent for four years. I paid back money my mom had borrowed from different friends over the years. There were a few other people who needed the money more than me. Let's see, what else? Oh, the down payment for my condo in Starling. The rest went to pay off a bookie my mom was into a lot of money for."

Oliver smiled. He had given Felicity one million dollars as severance after the Undertaking. She had spent almost the entire amount on refitting the foundry, buying arrows, training equipment, medical supplies and a customized bow for him. When he asked her why she spent all the money he gave her on their base and his supplies, she had simply said that she didn't feel right getting paid for helping people. He had a sneaking suspicion that some of the money had also been spent on her new wardrobe, but he never teased her about it. "I'm glad you spent some of it on yourself."

"You're not mad?" Felicity's brow was creased with worry.

"Is that your question?" He asked with a smirk.

"No." Felicity said laughing. "Are you mad?"

"Mad? You should know by now that your criminal activity makes me proud." Oliver teased. "I ask you to commit federal crimes at least once a week."

"Try, daily." Felicity teased back. "Okay, my turn."

"Go ahead." Oliver was at a loss for what she would ask. There was so much of the five years he was gone that he hadn't shared - she could ask him almost anything. His stomach clenched when he realized she could ask about what he said the night in the mansion.

Felicity got up on her knees and moved across the sofa cushion between them. She reached for his face and traced a very faint scar above his left eyebrow. "How did you get this scar?"

Oliver was surprised that she asked about a scar. She never asked about them. Even as her fingers traced over them as she patched him up, she never asked. Even though he was surprised by her question he couldn't help but laugh. "All my scars and you pick the one I got before the island."

She sat back on her heels and gave him a smile. "I know. You don't have the scar in photos until after Thea was born. What happened?"

Oliver touched the scar over his brow and smiled. "I haven't thought about this in a long time. After Thea was born, my mom was worried that I was feeling neglected. So, my dad started taking me and Tommy out every weekend."

"Tommy?"

Oliver smiled. It was the first time he'd been able to say Tommy's name and it not hurt. He was happy thinking about his friend. "In hindsight, it makes sense, but about a year before Thea was born Rebecca died and Malcolm disappeared." Felicity winced and reached out to take Oliver's hand. "It's okay." Oliver squeezed her hand. He didn't want her to feel badly for asking to hear a story that indirectly touched on Thea's paternity. "After Malcolm left, Tommy was all alone. He spent most of his time with us. So, it was only natural that when my dad took me out on the weekend, Tommy came too. We went to baseball games, the zoo, the movies - every week, something different. One weekend, my dad took us to our cabin. Hey, we should go sometime. I think I still own it. Anyway, we went fishing on the lake. Long story, short - Tommy caught me instead of a fish."

Felicity flinched. "Ow."

"Can't say I was stoic for this one. I screamed bloody murder when my dad pushed the hook through." Oliver rubbed the scar. "Still, it was a really good weekend."

"A happy story." Felicity smiled.

"Yeah, a happy story." Oliver smiled. "Did you know it would be a happy story?"

"You don't get to ask a follow up. It was my question." She laughed. When he frowned she said, "Since you've been so nice to me today and I've been such a grump, I'll let you have a follow up to my question."

"Did you know it would be a happy story?" He asked in amazement.

"I had my suspicions that it was." A knowing smile spread across her face.

"How?" Seeing the admonishment on her face he said, "I know, not my turn, but how'd you know?"

Felicity rubbed her thumb along the scar and then rested her hand against his cheek. "I don't know. I knew you got the scar when you were little and I imagined eight year old Oliver having lots of fun adventures." Oliver felt a bubble of warmth spreading out from his chest. Of all the things she could've asked him, she asked him to tell her a happy story. He'd be a fool not to be madly in love with this woman. "Your turn to ask a question."

He wanted to ask her about a happy childhood memory, but then he realized she'd introduced him to Rosie so he'd see her happy story and that now she was trying to find a way to tell him about the darker times. He would find another time to ask for a happy story, now, he wanted to ask the tough questions. "Earlier, at the drive-in, you had started to tell me, but - is that why you never talk about your life here? Were you afraid I'd disapprove?"

"Counting cards is just the tip of the iceberg." Felicity flopped backwards across the sofa. "I need chocolate for this conversation."

"That can be arranged." Oliver retrieved a room service menu from the credenza and handed it to Felicity. "What would you like?" As Felicity took the menu from Oliver there was a knock at the front door. Felicity tensed and looked like she was getting ready to bolt over the balcony. "Relax. It's just our luggage."

The bellman placed their suitcases in the master bedroom and Oliver tipped him generously. Seeing Felicity's eyes go wide when she saw their suitcases enter the same room forced him to swallow his laughter. As soon as the bellman was gone, he went to retrieve his suitcase and move it to the smaller room. He could feel Felicity's eyes follow him into the master bedroom. He turned to face her, his hand on his suitcase's handle. Felicity gave a slight tilt to her head and looked at him. He swallowed hard at the way she was studying him. Blushing, she returned to studying the menu and he moved his belongings into the smaller bedroom. "Have you made your selection?"

"Even though we're in a landlocked state, I'm still going with the sushi. Oh, and some dumplings. I will also take the hot fudge sundae, extra fudge, hold the nuts."

Oliver placed their orders and made sure to stress Felicity's severe nut allergy. He returned to the sofa and pulled Felicity's feet into his lap. He began to knead the bottom of her feet. She let out a contented sigh that had him taking a deep calming breath. He suddenly wanted to make her sigh for another reason. In an attempt to refocus his attention, he asked, "So, if counting cards is just the tip of the iceberg, what's below the water line?"

Felicity placed her arm across her eyes. "Let's just say that I cheated at cards, a lot, but I was never involved with prostitution and I didn't kill anyone."

Oliver's hands stilled. "I didn't actually think prostitution or murder were a possibility, but I'm relieved to hear you confirm it?" Felicity threw a sofa pillow at him. He caught it and rested it across her knees. "What? You left open a pretty wide criminal window there. There's forgery, blackmail, grand theft auto, drug dealing, - oh wait, is that why you offered to score vertigo for us that time?"

"Okay, I get your point. No, I never dealt drugs. I've never blackmailed anyone. I did steal a car once, I was thirteen, but it was my mom's and her crazy boyfriend had taken it when he left her for another woman. So, it really wasn't stealing since it was my mom's but I did have to hot wire it."

Oliver tried to visualize a frizzy dark haired thirteen year old Felicity hot wiring a car and it brought a huge grin to his face. "You never cease to amaze me. I never expected hot wiring cars would be in your bag of tricks."

"You'd be surprised by my extensive bag of tricks." Felicity said proudly.

Oliver could feel heat coloring his cheeks as he saw Felicity flush at her own remark. "Wait, what about forgery?" Oliver asked.

Felicity laughed. "Other than my mom's signature on report cards, I never forged. Wait, forged." She said the word deliberately. "Is that even a word? Forged, it sounds funny."

"I thought you were the one with the fancy college degree." Oliver laughed and Felicity picked up the pillow and gently swatted him with it. "Should I continue reciting crimes? It might just be easier if you told me."

"I'll tell you what I didn't do. I was never a Las Vegas cliché. I never supported myself as a stripper. You don't need to worry about the press uncovering my prior life as Ashleigh Sugar Notch."

Oliver began to choke on his own tongue. "Ashleigh Sugar Notch?"

"I may not have ever worked as a stripper, but every girl has her own stripper name. But, since I never worked as a stripper or an exotic dancer we don't need to worry about anyone digging up that sordid story. I did, however, work as a cleaner at a sleazy club where my mom was a waitress. It paid well but was super gross. I actually think you lose your innocence faster cleaning the champagne room than you do swinging from the pole." Oliver was at a loss for words as he was alternately aroused and angered by what she was telling him. When he didn't interrupt, she continued, "I may or may not have helped several step fathers launder money. Oh, I picked pockets in high school to help make ends meet, but I was never very good at it - too clumsy. I only went after super drunk frat boys." Felicity gently pushed her foot against his ribs. "Who knows, maybe I picked your pocket." Before the island, Oliver had been drunk in Las Vegas more times than he could count. He would've been a perfect mark for Felicity. Suddenly, he was embarrassed thinking about Felicity encountering him back then. He spent most of college drunk, high or both. He'd been reckless and thoughtless in those days. Oliver stood up and moved to the windows. The sun was setting and the horizon was purple and orange. The lights of the strip had begun reflecting off the window. Felicity's fingers laced through his. "Hey, I'm sorry. I was just teasing."

Oliver rested his forehead against the glass. "You're not the only one who'd like for their past to stay hidden." Felicity leaned her back against the glass and rested her hand over his heart. "I hate that you know anything about Ollie. I hate that you know what a complete screw up I was."

"You've never been anyone but Oliver to me. Ollie is just an abstraction for me. I look at you now, I see the man that you are and I can't believe that Ollie ever existed - despite all the video evidence to the contrary." Oliver placed his hand over hers. Felicity's voice became heavy with emotion. "You're just Oliver - infuriating, thoughtful, brave, strong, loyal, smart, sexy. You know, my best friend, Oliver."

"You're my best friend too." He smiled as soon as the grin spread across her face.

"Of course, I am. Dig loves you, but half the time I think he is ready to smack you across the head." Felicity gently tapped the back of his head.

Oliver laughed, "And you don't?"

"Well," she bit her lip and looked like she was thinking hard, "only about a quarter of the time."

Oliver felt himself relax with Felicity's words. Her face was open and her blue eyes were looking at him with complete trust. She trusted him so much she would follow him off the roof of a building or through a plate glass window. Other women had trusted him and he inevitably found a way to betray or hurt them. He never wanted Felicity to become disillusioned with him. The faith she had in him was what made him believe that he could be a different man than the one who returned from the island. Of course, that trust went both ways. When he placed the cure in her hand he'd trusted her above everyone to bring down Slade and to save them and their city. Oliver couldn't help but smile at his truly remarkable partner. Felicity's face broke out into a wide smile and Oliver found himself focusing on her lips. It would be so easy to kiss her and to show her that the words he spoke at the mansion were true. As if reading his thoughts, Felicity licked her lips and ever so slightly tilted her head towards him. Oliver found himself caught in her gravity and his lips were moving to claim Felicity's when her cell chirped. "Do you want to get that?" Oliver asked through a sigh. "It's been doing that all day - maybe it's important." He thought maybe he'd finally get some answers about who had been texting with her all day.

Felicity was looking at his mouth and her breathing was erratic. It was taking all of Oliver's restraint not to crush his lips against hers. Felicity took a gulp of air. "It's nothing it's just Vic." Oliver felt like he'd taken a blow to the stomach and took two staggering steps away from her. Felicity reached for his arm but he flinched like her touch was fire. She was undeterred, grabbed his arm and forced eye contact. "Oliver, Vic's not calling me. It's just the alert that lets me know we've tapped another one of his calls. Vic and I are over, okay? Oliver, there is only one man I'm interested in and it's not Vic."

Oliver placed one hand on Felicity's hip and the other against her cheek. Felicity clutched the front of Oliver's shirt and gently pulled him towards her. Oliver rested his forehead against hers and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. His heart was beating so loudly in his ears he feared it might explode. He only had a moment to decide if he was actually going to erase the line that they'd been slowly blurring from the day they met. He wanted this. He wanted her in every facet of his life and he was going to take that first step. His lips ever so slightly brushed against hers. She broke into a wide smile that he matched. Oliver pulled her tightly against him and traced her smile with his thumb when there was a loud knock on the door and a male voice called out, "Room service." _Why does the universe hate me? _Oliver thought as he let out a slight groan.

Felicity patted his chest, took a deep breath and straightened his shirt where she had bunched it in her grasp. As she pulled away from him she said, "Yum, chocolate."

They ate their meal pretending like they hadn't almost kissed. Oliver wanted to talk to her about what had almost happened and to tell her how he felt. Instead, he spent the evening teasing her about the photos Rosie showed him. He complemented her Goth/Grunge phase and told her he was looking forward to Rosie sending him videos of all her dance recitals. She even shared some of her memories that were linked to the photos he described. He even got an impromptu ballet recital when she remembered the steps she learned when she was five, which had them both doubled over in fits of laughter. However, the later it got, the more distracted she became. She checked her phone several times and she kept throwing uneasy glances at her purse.

After a brief lull in their conversation, he was about to ask her what was wrong when, stretching through a yawn, she said, "I'm beat. I'm going to turn in. Are you going for a run in the morning?"

"Why, do you want to come with me?" Oliver grinned. Felicity had never expressed an interest in his running before.

"Nope, just trying to decide when I should have room service deliver our breakfast." She said trying a little too hard to sound disinterested.

"I'll probably head out at five and be back around seven."

"Five?" She asked with alarm. "That's pretty early."

"It's the desert in the summer, the earlier the better. Is there a reason you don't want me leaving so early?" Oliver asked.

"No, I just want to sleep in and I don't want to feel guilty for being lazy, so try to be quiet when you're being all disciplined and everything."

She wasn't quite looking at him, but at a spot slightly over his shoulder. He wanted to laugh. He invented that move. "I promise I won't wake you. I'm pretty good with the stealth." Oliver pretended to yawn. He rose from the sofa and offered Felicity his hand. As he pulled her into a hug, he said. "Good night, Felicity. Sweet dreams."

She stood up on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. "Oliver, thank you for today."

Oliver brushed her hair back behind her ear. "You're welcome."

As he watched her enter the bedroom, he checked his phone to make sure the tracker on her phone was still working - it was. His partner was definitely keeping something from him and he had the sneaking suspicion that she was about to try to pull a fast one on him.

**Notes: Thank you for reading. Five days until the premier, we can make it.**

**Next up: Felicity leads Oliver on a chase.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes: Thank you to everyone who took the time to send me a review and share their thoughts on the last chapter. Everyone's support, whether through reviews or choosing to follow or favorite the story is greatly appreciated.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

Oliver watched as Felicity stood at the back door of a strip club and knocked. It had been just after midnight when he heard Felicity slip out of their suite. He waited for her to step into the elevator before he started following her. He got into a cab and used the tracker on her phone to direct the driver to her location. When they pulled outside of the strip club called, Bounce, the driver had told him that there were far nicer places he could take him to. Oliver had given the driver a hundred dollars and asked him to wait for him. He removed the baseball cap he'd shoved into his back pocket and put it on, pulling the brim down low.

He hadn't expected Felicity to sneak out to visit a strip club, but what had truly shocked him was her appearance. Her golden hair was hidden beneath an asymmetrical chin length red wig with bangs. Dressed in a skin tight long sleeve black jersey mini dress that ended just above mid-thigh and a pair of thigh high patent leather boots, his Felicity had completely transformed herself into someone else. Mindful of the security cameras, Oliver tucked himself into the shadows behind a dumpster in the alley that ran behind the club. He watched as the door opened and a man gestured for Felicity to enter. Oliver willed her to stay outside. It would be hard for him to get into the club unseen and he had no idea what she was up to. He gave a sigh of relief when she shook her head and took two steps away from the door, tightly clutching the small red hand bag she had slung across her chest. The man disappeared inside the club, the door slamming loudly behind him. Felicity paced a few steps, tightening her grip on the red bag. She spun around at the sound of the door opening. A woman in her early thirties stepped out of the door and Felicity stepped towards her. The woman had teased blonde hair and was wearing a short black robe that barely covered her electric blue g-string. Even in the minimal light her skin reflected the body glitter that covered her from head to toe. The woman tentatively reached for Felicity and then pulled her into a tight embrace. Felicity hesitated for only a moment before she returned the embrace. When Felicity pulled away she began to speak in hushed tones that Oliver was unable to hear. The woman lit a cigarette and began to shake her head. Felicity grabbed the woman's hand and spoke again. The door opened again and a different man stepped into the alley, he leered at Felicity and licked his lips as he took in her appearance. Oliver was ready to step from the shadows when the woman gave him a small shove and he started to laugh as he moved away from them lighting his cigarette as he walked. Felicity held out her hand and the woman handed her a cigarette which the woman lit for her. After several silent minutes, the man moved back towards them. "Is this a friend of yours Bonnie? Arthur said someone was looking for you." The man spoke loud enough for Oliver to hear.

"Yeah, Meg's an old friend of my brothers. She was just stopping by on my break to say hi." Bonnie said.

The man began to eye Felicity up and down again. She didn't squirm under his salacious gaze, instead she took her first drag on her cigarette and turned her head away from the man to exhale, stepping further into the shadows. Her movement accentuated her breasts and the man's gaze dropped from her face to look at her chest. Oliver realized her actions were intentional and it dawned on him that she was dressed in such a way that no one would remember her face. His Girl Wednesday definitely had a lot more in the bag of tricks she'd been hiding from him. "You looking for a job, sweetheart? Do you dance? Because you look like you do."

Oliver saw Felicity's shoulders tense for a moment before she threw the cigarette to the ground and put it out with the toe of her boot. "Thanks, I'm not looking."

"Too bad, we could use another red head." The guy smirked. "You better get back inside, your set is in a few."

"It was good seeing you, Meg. Hey, I got a new cell number, do you have yours on you?" Bonnie held out her hand as Felicity reached into her bag and retrieved her cell. Bonnie took the cell and began to type. "Here you go. Give me a call soon. It's been ages since we partied."

The man opened the door and stepped inside, holding the door open behind him. Bonnie followed but turned to look at Felicity who mouthed, _Thank you_.

Bonnie shook her head and mouthed, _Go home_.

Felicity watched the door close, glanced at her cell and quickly took off towards the street. Oliver followed at a discrete distance. She stepped into the street and hailed an approaching cab. As soon as she got into the car, Oliver sprinted from the alley and returned to his waiting cab. He once again used the tracker on Felicity's phone to guide the driver. Felicity was leading them further from the strip into a neighborhood that made the Glades look like Beverly Hills. Oliver could tell his driver was getting nervous by the furtive glances he kept giving him in the rear view mirror. Felicity's cab stopped in the middle of a block, near a vacant lot. She sat in her cab for five minutes before she got out. Oliver gave his driver another hundred dollar bill and told him he wouldn't need him the rest of the night. He waited for Felicity to start walking before he exited his cab.

Felicity approached the chain link fence surrounding the vacant lot. She linked the fingers of her good hand through the fence and appeared to be speaking with someone. Oliver moved down the sidewalk towards her, clinging to the shadows the broken street lamps afforded him. The fence began to vibrate and he could hear the telltale sounds of someone climbing. Felicity stepped back and watched a man appear at the top of the fence. He paused and looked at Felicity before he dropped to the ground beside her. The hair on the back of Oliver's neck stood up and he found himself absently reaching over his shoulder to retrieve an arrow that wasn't there. Oliver was unable to discern the man's age, but even from where he stood he could tell he was filthy. The man's clothes hung off of him and his long hair fell in greasy strands. Felicity showed no fear and placed a hand on the man's elbow as she began to speak. The man didn't appear to be listening as he ran a hand through his hair and tracked the street. Reaching into her purse she pulled out some money that she placed into the man's hands. He looked at the money and quickly stuffed it into his pocket. She pointed down the street and the man shook his head. She took a firmer grip of his arm and smiled at the man. He shook his head but then they both began walking in the direction she had pointed.

Oliver followed them for three blocks and with every step he took he could feel his anger building. He had no idea what she was planning, but since she hadn't asked him for his help, he was positive that whatever it was, he wouldn't like it. He watched as they entered a rundown cafe with filthy windows. Felicity led the man to a booth at the far end of the cafe and she sat facing the door. Oliver decided that he was done following her and it was time for answers. He stepped into the cafe and stood with his eyes fixed on Felicity who was speaking with the waitress. When the waitress stepped away, Felicity's eyes landed on Oliver and she swallowed hard. She said something to the man and then slid out of the booth and approached him. "What are you doing here?" She hissed.

"I hear this place has the best burgers in town." He replied as he stepped around her and headed towards her booth. He could hear her heels clicking furiously behind him. He slid into the booth opposite the man. "Hi, I'm John." Oliver said as he studied Felicity's dining companion. It was hard to get a read on the man's age due to prolonged drug use. His face was sallow and was covered in small red ruptured capillaries.

The man flashed a worried look to Felicity, who reached across the table and took his hand as she sat down. "It's okay Eddie, he's a friend of mine."

"Licity, you really shouldn't be here. Does Little Stevie know you're here?" Eddie asked nervously. His eyes darting back and forth between Oliver and Felicity.

"No, he doesn't and you're not going to tell him." Felicity said firmly.

"He'd be really mad that I saw you and didn't tell him." Eddie said as he picked absently at his arms.

"Eddie, it's really important that you don't tell Stevie that you saw me." Felicity placed her hand over his and squeezed.

"It's not like he'll see me anymore anyway." Eddie mumbled.

"Eddie, that's not a promise." She said harshly.

"Okay, okay. I won't tell him." He said reluctantly.

The waitress returned with three cups of coffee, a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Eddie pulled the soup closer towards himself and began to greedily slurp it down. Felicity pushed a cup of coffee towards Oliver and poured at least three teaspoons of sugar into her own cup. She pushed the sugar towards Oliver and gave him a knowing look. Oliver took a sip and immediately reached for the sugar in the hopes of lessening the bitter and burnt taste of the coffee he was certain had been sitting on a burner for the whole day. Felicity placed her hand on Oliver's leg, just above his knee and gave it a squeeze. She gave him a look and Oliver nodded. She needed him to stay silent. "Eddie, I need to know where I can find Oscar." She said in a soft voice.

Eddie dropped his spoon back into his bowl. "Oscar? Why do you want to see Oscar?"

"You don't need to worry about that. I just need to know where I can find Oscar." Felicity pushed the sandwich towards Eddie.

"Why don't you ask your mom? She'll know." Eddie took a bite of the sandwich. "Although, from what "I hear, Oscar's really pissed with Donna."

"She's dead." Felicity said without emotion.

"She was a bitch. You're better off without her." On that point, Oliver had to agree with Eddie. "Did Oscar kill her?" Eddie asked with a mouthful of food.

"No, Richie Thompson did." Felicity said.

Eddie's eyes went wide. "Richie's an idiot."

"Well, he's a dead idiot." Felicity said coldly. "Was he working for Oscar?"

Eddie shook his head and took another bite of his sandwich. "Richie was too dumb to work for Oscar. He thought he could be a big shot on his own. Who killed him?"

"It doesn't matter. Eddie, I need to know where Oscar is?" Felicity said a little more forcefully.

"Are you going to kill him?" Eddie asked.

Felicity sighed. "I'm not killing anyone. I just need to know where Oscar is so I can give him something."

"I don't know where he is and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." Eddie reached across the table and took her hand. "He was mad at your mom, now she's dead - leave it alone. Licity, you shouldn't be here. Go home."

"Please, Eddie. I need to find him, it's important." She pleaded.

Eddie sat back in his seat and stared at Felicity. Oliver watched as different emotions played across his face. It was clear Eddie had some type of affection for her and was warring with himself over whether or not he should give her what she was asking for. "I can try and find out for you."

A large smile spread across her face. "Thank you." Felicity took a pen from her purse and wrote a number onto a napkin. She slid one hundred dollars worth of twenties over to Eddie with the napkin. "Does Old Man Turner still live around the corner?"

"Yep." Eddie said as he took the napkin and money.

Felicity watched the napkin and money disappear into his pocket and she reached across the table to take his hand and write the same number on the back of it. "Does he still have the Ford?"

Eddie grinned. "Sure does."

Felicity stood up and placed her hand on Eddie's shoulder. "It was good seeing you again. Take care of yourself."

"I'll find Oscar for you." Eddie returned his attention to his soup.

Felicity walked up to the waitress and handed her a wad of bills. "Please, get him whatever he wants. Keep the rest."

"Hey, John." Eddie called after Oliver. "You keep an eye on her. She has a way of getting herself into trouble."

Oliver nodded and followed Felicity out of the cafe. Oliver stood for a moment frozen. He still had no idea what was going on and the exchange between Felicity and Eddie had left him more confused and worried. He realized Felicity had kept walking and he jogged to catch up with her, falling into step beside her. "Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" He did his best to keep his voice calm.

"Nope." She said as she picked up her pace.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" His tone slightly less calm than with his previous question.

She squared her shoulders and said, "We're going to steal us a car."

**Notes: Thank you for reading.**

**I've been told that once the new season starts I should no longer make updates on Wednesday. I will be moving my midweek updates to Tuesdays.**

**Next up: Grand theft auto and other misadventures with Oliver and Felicity.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes: Thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter. It seems that Felicity's past has sparked some interest. Rest assured, Felicity is still Felicity.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

Felicity was standing in front of a rundown bungalow and by the look on her face Oliver could tell she was lost in a memory. He laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Is this where we're stealing us a car?" He teased gently, trying to coax her from wherever she'd retreated.

"I lived here, once. This was Rosie's house." She let go of his hand and leaned against the waist high fence railing. "I remembered it being bigger." She laughed. "Which, I realize, is a ridiculous thing to say to you because you grew up in a mansion."

"Which was your room?" Oliver asked gently.

Felicity took his hand and led him towards the driveway. "We lived above the garage. There was only one bedroom. I slept on the pullout couch in the living room."

Oliver's heart clenched within his chest and he pulled her against him in a tight hug. The thought of a young Felicity growing up without a bed of her own while he had grown up wanting for nothing made him realize, once again, how unfair life could be. "Felicity, what are we doing here in the middle of the night? Please, let me take you back to the hotel."

"We need to go." She said pulling away from him. He followed her as she quickly crossed the street. She stopped in front of a bungalow not unlike Rosie's. "Do you have your utility knife on you?" She asked putting out her hand. Oliver retrieved the item from his pocket and placed it in her hand. "Follow me." Felicity walked down the center of the driveway like she owned it. Oliver rapidly took in his surroundings. There wasn't a light on in the house, but there were some lights on at the neighbor's. Whatever Felicity was up to, she didn't seem to be overly concerned that she'd be caught. "Hey, give me a hand." She whispered as she opened a window to the garage. Oliver assisted her through the window and then closed it behind her. He turned at the sound of the garage door lifting. He was about to enter the garage when she said, "Wait there, I'll need you to close the door once I pull out." Oliver hesitated. He had a moment of fear that she was going to leave him there. "Hey, I'm not going to leave you. I promise." Oliver relaxed and stepped away from the garage. Fifteen seconds later the car, a black Shelby Cobra, roared to life and Felicity backed out. It was only then that he understood that she'd been serious about stealing a car. Oliver closed the garage door and quickly slid into the passenger seat. He barely had the door closed before Felicity was backing out of the driveway. As Felicity shifted the car into drive Oliver glanced over at Felicity and she had a huge smile on her face.

"Nice ride. What did Old Man Turner do to you?" Oliver asked, almost dreading her response.

"He bought this car from my mom the day after my dad left." She said as she pushed the accelerator to the floor.

Oliver glanced at his watch, it was just past two in the morning. They'd been driving for an hour and had left the city behind for the wide open expanse of the desert. Felicity's loose hair was whipping in the wind from her open window, her wig long discarded in the backseat. The radio was blaring, effectively preventing Oliver from asking her any questions. He made a move to turn off the radio when Felicity turned down a dirt road marked, _Private - Keep Out_, a wooden gate blocking their way. Felicity put the car into park and removed a set of keys from her purse. "I'll be right back," she said as she exited the car, leaving her door open. He watched as she unlocked the padlock and opened the gate. She returned to the car and drove through the gate, stopping once they were through.

"Stay, I'll get it." Oliver said, anxious to stretch his legs and release some of the nervous energy coursing through him. He closed the gate and locked the padlock as he tried to take in his surroundings. It was impossible to tell the last time the gate had been used. He didn't know if he should be expecting company at the end of the road. He returned to the car and Felicity put the Shelby back into gear without looking at him. They'd driven about one hundred yards when Oliver had decided he'd had enough. "Stop! Felicity, stop the car." He demanded as he shut the radio off. Felicity slammed on the brakes but refused to look at him. "I need to know what's going on."

"What do you want to know?"

"For a start, where the hell are we?"

"Bob's."

"Bob's?"

"Bob's."

Oliver rubbed his hands across the top of his head. "Are you intentionally trying to upset me?"

"I didn't invite you, remember? If anyone should be angry it's me." Felicity said glaring at the front windshield.

Oliver took a deep calming breath. "Okay. Who's Bob, then?"

"Step-dad number four."

"Am I about to meet Bob?"

"Not unless his ghost is wandering around his grave."

"Bob's dead?"

"It's the most usual way to get a grave." Oliver grunted in frustration and Felicity sighed. "Okay, okay. Bob is dead. He died from a heart attack my junior year of high school, but according to the government he is still alive and kicking. Mom loved his disability checks more than she loved Bob."

"Your mom buried Bob out here?" Oliver asked as he envisioned the woman he'd briefly encountered on the Starling City docks digging a grave in this rocky terrain.

"Technically, we buried Bob out here." Felicity said quietly, resting her head on the steering wheel.

"Damn it, Felicity." Oliver groaned. "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know how to tell you." Felicity said as she finally looked at him, her head still resting on the steering wheel.

"Try." He told her, grabbing for her hand.

"I'll show you." Felicity released her foot from the brake and they continued down the dirt road. About three miles later they encountered another gate and Oliver unlocked and then locked the gate after they passed through. He did the same thing, five miles later. "Bob was a bit paranoid and a survivalist. He would've loved you." She said with a grin when he returned to the car. "He hunted with a bow. Hmph."

"What?"

"I just had a scary thought and I'm pretty shocked that it didn't come out in an embarrassing babble." She said with an amazed look on her face.

"I'd do anything for you to babble right now - to do something, well, you. You're seriously freaking me out tonight."

"Would it make you feel better if I made an innuendo?"

"It might," he said grumpily.

She bit her lip and furrowed her brow in concentration. "Well, it appears I can't come up with an innuendo at will - they just happen or they don't." Oliver sighed in frustration. "Oliver, I know you're mad about everything that's happened tonight and you think I've violated your trust and that you wanted me to come back to the hotel with you and you're angry that I'm not coming just because you crooked your finger." She paused and glanced at him with a grin. "Oh boy, looks like I just needed to get started. Feel better?"

"Slightly."

"We're here." Felicity said throwing the car in park and disconnecting the wires she'd used to hot wire the car.

Oliver got out of the car and turned in a slow circle in order to take in his surroundings. There wasn't any moon and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. The outline of what appeared to be a shack with a collapsing roof looked to be about fifty feet away. The ground around him rippled away from him as the wind blew patterns of lines in the sand. The sound of the trunk slamming had him returning his focus to Felicity. She handed him a crow bar and slipped her fingers through his. They began walking, their path illuminated by the torch app on her cell. They passed the shack and headed towards a gnarled looking tree. Felicity stopped at the tree , released his hand and knelt on the ground. She wiped some dirt from a flat stone and said, "Hi, Bob. It's been awhile. Oh, this is Oliver." Felicity gestured towards him and Oliver knelt by her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. Felicity briefly rested her cheek on his hand. "I guess you know about mom. She was in trouble, as usual, but I'm guessing you knew that too." Felicity picked up a small stone and held it to her chest. She said a few quiet words that Oliver knew to be Hebrew but he didn't understand their meaning. She sat silently for a minute and then let out a deep breath and placed the stone she held on top of Bob's marker. "Bye, Bob. I don't think I'll be back here again."

Oliver rose and pulled Felicity to her feet. "Was he a good step father?" Oliver immediately thought of Walter and how lucky he and Thea were to have him around.

"He wasn't the worst. He was old. He drank too much but he wasn't mean. He died before they were even married a year, so really hard to judge on the step-father scale. Didn't beat me, but he never took me for mint chip either - so somewhere in the middle." Oliver flinched when she implied a step-father had beaten her. He was struggling with how his afternoon that started with looking at pictures of Felicity smiling in a pink tutu had led to him kneeling beside a grave Felicity helped dig in the middle of the desert. Felicity squeezed his hand and pulled. "It's just over here." Oliver followed, not sure what _it_ she was referring to. She swept the light from her cell over a pile of brush and moved towards it. In front of the pile was a large branch that Felicity picked up and began poking the pile with. "Keep back," she told Oliver, "you never know who or what has taken up residence." After a minute of poking she seemed satisfied and began to shift the pile, slowly revealing a metal door in the ground. She unlocked the padlock and looked to Oliver. "Would you mind?"

Oliver used the crow bar to pry open the door and he peered into what appeared to be a storm cellar. He tentatively put his foot on the first step, testing for rot. Satisfied it would hold his weight, he took another step and then reached back for Felicity's hand. At the bottom of the stairs was a metal door in a cement wall. "What the?"

"Yeah, you're secret lair might not have been my first. I told you, Bob was paranoid." Felicity produced another key to unlock the metal door which groaned in protest as she opened it. She moved into the room that was lined with two sets of bunk beds and shelves that were stocked with canned goods, medical supplies, blankets and clothing. Barrels lined the rear wall, noticing where his eyes had fallen she said, "Water."

Felicity began to open and close duffle bags that sat on the bottom shelves. As Felicity examined bags, Oliver inspected the contents of the shelves to discover Bob had amassed quite a collection of firearms and ammunition, including grenades and mortar rounds. There were enough guns to arm a small militia and enough explosives to blow them sky high. "I don't think we want to be down here too long." Oliver cautioned.

"I'm almost done," Felicity said as she opened a duffle near the barrels of water. "Shit," she said quietly.

"What?" Oliver asked moving quickly to her side. Felicity used her cell to light up the contents of the duffle. "Is that?"

"Yeah, meth." Felicity said as she sank on top of the duffle, her head resting in her hands. "Mom." As that one word passed through her lips she began to sob.

Oliver lowered himself to his knees and pulled Felicity into his chest. He rubbed circles against her back as he whispered soothing sounds and tried to figure out why Felicity had dragged them into the desert to find what appeared to be fifty pounds of crystal meth. He suspected, it had something to do with why Felicity was looking for a man named Oscar.

**Notes: Thank you for reading.**

**Next up: What you've all been waiting for...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes: Thank you to everyone who took the time to send me a review. Everyone's feedback was appreciated. There were several guest reviewers who expressed concern about Felicity not being herself. As the story continues I hope you see Felicity returning to character. She is behaving the way she is for a reason. I hope the story remains enjoyable, even if you still think Felicity is different.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

Oliver was steering the Shelby back towards the city while Felicity silently stared out the passenger window. She insisted on taking the meth with them and Oliver drove the speed limit mindful that he was driving a stolen car with fifty pounds of illegal drugs in the trunk and traveling with a woman in an outfit that made her look like she was a member of the oldest profession. "Felicity, you've got to tell me what you're thinking if I'm going to help."

She sighed. "I'm thinking if Eddie used that money I gave him to get high, he has probably forgotten what I asked him for. I really don't want to go with Plan B."

"Before we get to Plan B, can you fill me in on Plan A." Oliver said reaching for her hand. "Better yet, why don't you tell me why we need a Plan A."

"I'm sorry, Oliver. I never should've let you come with me. I knew what I was coming home to face and I was being selfish, I wanted you with me."

"Then why did you sneak out, why didn't you just ask me for help?" He said stealing a look at her. "You know I'd do anything for you."

A short burst of air passed her lips. "I've already made you an accessory to two crimes tonight and I don't think I'm done yet." He looked at her sideways and they both began to laugh. "Okay, I didn't realize how ridiculous that would sound until it came out of my mouth. I guess two more crimes added to all the ones we've committed over the past two years is pretty insignificant."

"So, why am I driving a stolen car filled with fifty pounds of meth?" He asked, hoping to finally hear the truth.

"You've probably noticed that I've been getting lots of text messages since my mom died."

"I have."

"Well, there's this guy, Jimmy Roman, who my mom was evidently running drugs for. My best guess, Richie convinced her they could make it into the big time if she stole a shipment of drugs from Jimmy. Jimmy got my number and told me that my mom never made her last delivery to Reno, so I could either return him his drugs or pay him," she closed her eyes in concentration, "$2,267,960 - the street value."

"What did he threaten you with?" He asked as calmly as he was able.

She took a deep breath. "Don't get angry. I mean, I know you're going to be angry but I don't have a training dummy or Dig or Roy for you to hit, so I need you to be calm angry." She placed her hand on his bicep.

"Felicity." He said sharply.

"Jimmy said that he'd either finish what Richie started or I could work it off," under her breath she said, "on my back."

Oliver's knuckles whitened from the force of his grip on the steering wheel. Through clenched teeth he asked, "So, who's Oscar?"

"Jimmy works for Oscar and Oscar dated my mom a long time ago and I might have helped him with a computer thing when I was eleven, so I thought if I talked to Oscar and gave him back the drugs, he could make Jimmy go away."

"Why not give the drugs back to Jimmy?" Oliver asked.

Felicity opened her purse and pulled out a wad of paper rubber banded together. "Because of these."

Oliver held out his hand and she placed the papers in his hands. They looked like receipts. "What are they?" He asked as she returned them to her purse.

"Markers. I found them at her apartment. My mom owes - owed - a lot of bookies a lot of money. More money than I could've imagined. She owed Jimmy at least $100,000. I was hoping Oscar would find it in his heart, for old time's sake, to forgive the debt."

Oliver's head was spinning. If he didn't know better he'd think he was hallucinating or having a really surreal nightmare. "What about the other markers? How were you planning on paying them off?"

"That's part of Plan B. Well, it's actually Plan A for the rest of the markers but Plan B for Jimmy, if Eddie doesn't come through. I'm hoping to set up an installment plan."

Oliver was certain that he was about to hit his limit. She was taking unnecessary - no, not unnecessary, stupid chances with her life and had planned to keep him in the dark."With bookies?"

"Yes."

"You know that's not how this works, right? Please tell me your plan wasn't to ask to set up installment plans with low level gangsters throughout Vegas."

"Of course not. Just one installment plan with a medium sized gangster. Plan A is for the medium sized gangster to buy the markers from the bookies and I'll pay him back." Felicity looked over at Oliver and gave him a tentative smile. "It's really a good plan. I thought it through."

With her last statement he was, officially, past his limit of tolerance. "Clearly, you didn't, because if you did, you would've come to me or Diggle first and we could've come up with a plan together that didn't involve you running around looking like a hooker, meeting with strippers and drug dealers, stealing cars and breaking into a Doomsday Prepper's secret desert bunker to retrieve stolen drugs all the while trying to make contact with a crime lord." Oliver's voice became increasing loud as his own Felicity-like babble bubbled out of him.

"We didn't break in." Felicity muttered.

"What?" He barked.

"I had a key, so we didn't break in." She said sheepishly.

Oliver slammed his hand against the steering wheel. "Damn it, Felicity. Why didn't you just come to me and ask for help?" He roared.

"It's not like you have that kind of money laying around anymore and what you do have we need for Team Arrow and how can I ask, because it's your money not my money and this is my problem, Oliver. I didn't ask you because this is my mess to clean up and I thought I could fix this without you ever having to know. I didn't want to drag you into my problems." Felicity's voice got louder with every word.

Everything around Oliver went silent and out of focus. He took a deep breath, slowed the car and pulled off the road. He exited the car and walked twenty feet away, scissoring his arms in front of him as he took deep breaths. He needed to regain control of himself and clear his mind so he could figure a way out of whatever scheme she'd cooked up. When he stopped walking he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled his anger as he looked at the night sky full of stars. He imagined his anger floating out into the darkness. He slowly returned to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. He gestured for her to get out of the car. She removed her seat belt and took the hand he offered her. He closed the door after her and led her away from the car. Holding his hands out to her, she didn't hesitate to take them. Her hair was wild and windblown and her face was slightly flushed. He removed his baseball cap, returning it to his back pocket. Placing his hands gently against the back of her head, he began to finger comb through her matted curls.

"Oliver, I'm,"

"Felicity," he said as he put his hands on either side of her face.

The island had taught Oliver the value of a second and how everything can change in the blink of an eye. You can be kissing your girlfriend's sister one second and watching her drown the next. In a second you can move someone from life into death with the release of a string. In a second you can betray your best friend and never make it right. In a second you can watch the life leave your mother's eyes and never tell her you forgive her. In a second you can meet a girl and she can change your life with a smile. In a second, you can have your heart's desire or lose her forever.

He never envisioned the first time he would kiss her to be on the side of an empty stretch of a darkened desert road. She raised her hands and rested them on his biceps. He lowered his head, his lips seeking hers, her hands traveling up his arms to grasp his forearms. He captured her lower lip between his. The kiss was slow and gentle. He deepened the kiss when she responded. The world fell away and his senses were flooded with Felicity. His hands dropped from her face in order to wrap his arms around her. Her hands snaked around him, freeing his shirt from his waistband so she could touch his bare skin. As he caressed her he became painfully aware that she wasn't wearing a bra under her form fitting dress. Her nails raked along his back and he crushed her to his chest. Her lips fell from his as she moaned his name and he began pressing kisses along her neck and jaw before returning to reclaim her lips. He reluctantly pulled away from the kiss, returning his hands to capture her face. "Your problems, are my problems."

"Oliver, I can't ask you"

He pulled her into another kiss, this time rough and possessive as he sought to make her understand with her body what she refused to acknowledge with her mind. He pulled away from her, leaving them both breathless. "There is no yours or mine, just ours. Do you understand?" He asked with a smile.

She smiled at him and he thought he'd fly apart from the joy of the way she looked at him. She grabbed him by the t-shirt and lowered his lips to hers. This kiss was slow and seductive and filled with the promise of everything they wanted from and for each other. Only the sound of Felicity's cell pulled them apart. "It's my burner," she said to Oliver. "Eddie? Did you find him?" She began to pace as she listened to Eddie. "Thanks, Eddie." Felicity ended the call and looked at Oliver.

"He find Oscar?" He wasn't sure what answer he wanted to hear more.

"No, but he's set up a meeting with Victor. I remember him from when my mom dated Oscar. He'll get us to Oscar." She said in a voice that failed to reassure him.

**Notes: Thank you for reading. **

**It is hard being in the middle of posting a completed work and have the season premier totally mess with you. This story is now completely AU.**

**Next up: Things don't go exactly as planned when Oliver and Felicity try to make contact with Oscar.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes: For a chapter that contained their first kiss, I didn't get a whole lot of feedback on chapter 9. I am attributing your quietness to shock from the premier. Thank you to those of you who did take the time to send me a review, especially guest reviewers Ruta, IFancyU & Jen who were kind enough to share their thoughts. I am grateful to all my loyal readers who have stuck with me since the beginning of this series.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

"I don't like this." Oliver said to Felicity as he watched her put her wig back on. They were sitting in the Shelby which was parked on a road in an industrial park two blocks from where she was planning on meeting Victor, alone.

"Oliver, we've been over this. Eddie said that Victor was very specific about me coming alone." She said as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, tucking a few wayward blonde strands out of view.

"Yeah and that's exactly what I don't like about it." Oliver said testily.

Felicity turned in her seat and leaned across the gear shift, pulling him to her and she placed a soft kiss onto his lips. "We've already checked out the location and you're only going to be ten feet away the whole time. I promise, I won't get into any trouble." She kissed him again and dropped back into her seat.

Oliver groaned as he rested his head against his seat. "This is dangerous." She was about to say something when he continued. "You and me kissing. I've completely lost the thread of my argument." He turned his head and grinned at her.

She bit her bottom lip but couldn't hide her own grin. "If I knew that all I need to do to win an argument was kiss you, I would've done it the day you made me your Executive Assistant." Oliver laughed and a huge smile spread across his face. "I love it when you do that."

"Do what?" He asked.

"Smile. Laugh. It makes me all warm inside." She said with a goofy grin.

"You've made me smile since the day I met you." He said taking her hand. "You give me a reason to smile." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Come on, time to go."

Oliver and Felicity had separated as soon as they left the car, making their approaches to the rendezvous. He was currently tucked into the recesses of a doorway of an abandoned warehouse. He watched as Felicity nervously paced the access road that ran between his position and a second warehouse. He hated her being so exposed, but he trusted her and he was only a few feet away. He had the crow bar from the Shelby gripped tightly in his hand and he questioned his judgment for not having thought to take a gun from Bob's bunker, but it was too late for regrets now.

The sound of a car approaching had Oliver pressing himself deeper into the doorway. He watched as a black sedan with tinted windows drove by. The engine of the vehicle was turned off, but the headlights continued to light the road. The sound of a car door opening had Felicity squaring her shoulders and lifting her head. The sound of a second door opening had Oliver cursing under his breath. What he heard next had his blood running cold.

"Jimmy?" Felicity's voice squeaked.

"Expecting someone else?" Jimmy asked as he came into Oliver's view. Felicity slowly circled so that Jimmy's back was to Oliver.

"I thought Victor," she started.

"Luckily for me, Victor owed me a favor and called to let me know that you were looking for Oscar." Oliver tensed as Jimmy stepped into Felicity's personal his space, his hand lifting to caress her hair. "Felicity Smoak, I think you're even prettier than your mother, but just as dumb." He stepped away from her. "Looking to cut me out of my own deal? Where are my drugs?" He demanded angrily.

"I found them, Jimmy, and I'll give them to you, but I don't have the money." She reached into her purse and held out a roll of cash to him. "It's only five thousand, but I'll get you the rest, it's just going to take me time. My mom's dead, I don't know what more you want from me." Felicity said hurriedly. Oliver tightened his grip on the crow bar at the sound of the fear in her voice. Jimmy put the money in his pocket. Felicity, nervously clutched at her purse.

"Felicity, I told you that there were only three options when it came to the money. You either give me all of it, I kill you or you work it off. Personally, I hope you pick option number three." Jimmy moved to grab her arm and what Felicity did next had Oliver leaving his hiding space. When Felicity removed her hand from her purse, she brought a gun level to Jimmy's chest.

Oliver only had a moment to register the second man as he spun and brought the crow bar across his back, dropping the man to his knees. He quickly kicked the man, rendering him unconscious. Jimmy barely had time to turn around before Oliver swung the crow bar and dropped him to the ground unconscious.

Felicity stood shaking with the gun still raised. Oliver moved behind her, lowered her arm and pulled the gun from her hand, tucking it into his waistband. He searched the men and took their firearms. He removed the clips and put them in his pocket. He used the pocket square Jimmy was wearing to wipe down the guns that he then threw into a nearby dumpster. He moved quickly to the car, turned off the headlights and popped the trunk. It only took him a minute to deposit both men inside and slam the lid. He wiped down the trunk and returned to Felicity's side. "Come on, we've got to go."

Oliver took a silent Felicity by the hand and pulled her into motion. Once she started moving they made good time back to their car. Her eyes were wide in fear and her breath was rapid and uneven. He didn't like her afraid, but part of him wanted her afraid so she'd never pull a stunt like this again. As much as she was shaking with fear, he was shaking with rage. Returning to her senses, Felicity moved to touch him, but he grabbed her wrist and shook his head.

When she tried to move away, he released her wrist. She spoke softly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't." He said curtly. "I'm furious with you." He said through clenched teeth as hot tears began to sting his eyes. "What were you thinking?" He leaned across the center console and pulled her against him, his forehead resting against her temple. "You could've been killed. What were you thinking? " He moved away from her as his anger came all the way to the surface. "You pulled a gun on two armed men and with your left hand." He shouted. "You can barely hit the target with your right hand and you thought you could defend yourself with your left?"

"I wasn't thinking." Felicity shouted.

"You're damn right you weren't thinking. Where did you even get the gun? From Bob's bunker?" He demanded.

"No, I found it at my mom's." She said, her eyes wide with regret.

"We're going back to the hotel." Oliver said. "We're going to grab our stuff and we're going back to Starling as soon as the pilots can meet us." He needed to get her out of town where she could be safe. He'd find a way to fix everything else, without her involvement, later.

"No." She snapped.

"You no longer get a vote. We've done it your way and now we are doing it mine." Part of what made Oliver love her was that she knew her own mind and wasn't afraid to stand up to him, but for once he wished she'd do what he said without an argument.

"I thought you said there was no mine or yours?" Oliver hated her snide tone as she threw the words he said out of love back at him.

"When it comes to your life, there is only one way, my way." The look on her face made him soften his voice. "Felicity, I can't lose you."

Felicity saw her opportunity and reached for him. "Oliver, you're not going to lose me, but if we go back to Starling now this is going to follow me," she took a halting breath, "and I just want this to be over. I never want to think of this place again. Please, Oliver."

Oliver rested his head against the car seat and let out a sigh. He knew she was right. If they ran, they'd only bring her troubles to Starling, but then they'd have Diggle and Roy for back-up. But, they'd be constantly looking over their shoulders and he didn't want her mom's actions to haunt her or their possible future. When they got back to Starling he wanted it to be a fresh start for them so they could explore what was happening between them without worrying about when the next person with a grudge against her mom would show up. "Okay."

"Thank you." She said taking his hand. "Time for Plan B."

Notes: Thank you for reading.

Next up: Felicity introduces Oliver to two more people from her past.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes: Thank you to everyone who took the time to send me a review or chose to favorite or follow the story. You're support is greatly appreciated.**

**Anything that is written in italics between quotation marks is intended to indicate that the speaker is speaking in Russian.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

Felicity and Oliver stood, hand in hand, in front of the Lucky Stars Casino. "Are you going to tell me what we're doing here?" The casino was well off the strip and from the people coming and going it looked to cater to a rougher, local crowd. Oliver was starting to think not getting the hell out of Vegas was a really bad idea.

"I need to see a friend." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I promise. I'm safe with these people, just follow my lead."

Oliver followed her into the casino and almost plowed into her when she stopped suddenly. She was sweeping the casino floor looking for someone. Oliver moved up behind her and said. "I thought you were banned from all casinos."

Felicity took the baseball cap from Oliver's hand and put it onto his head, pulling it low over his eyes. "No one can see you here, it isn't safe." She stepped away from Oliver and stood directly beneath one of the three hundred and sixty degree cameras. She held her head up defiantly and stared directly into the dome. She stood there for about two minutes before Oliver saw a man in his early thirties making a beeline for Felicity. He was dressed in an expensive suit and was wearing a scowl. Oliver moved to stand in front of Felicity. If someone was coming for her, he'd have to get through him first. Felicity stepped forward. took his hand and whispered, "Worlds colliding."

The man stepped around Oliver and stood toe to toe with Felicity. In a low voice, barely audible to Oliver, he said, "Boomer, what are you doing here? You know better than to come here. We've got at least three guys from the Nevada Gaming Commission in here tonight."

Felicity dropped Oliver's hand. "I'm sorry, but I really need to see your dad. Is he here tonight?" Felicity said as she gripped the man's biceps. "I wouldn't have come if it wasn't important."

"Come on, we need to walk around the back. We can't risk you walking across the floor." The man looked her up and down. Oliver would've punched him, except his appraisal was not at all sexual. The guy appeared amused. "Nice outfit? Did you come from a costume party for playboys and hos?" Felicity rolled her eyes in response. The man took Felicity's arm and began to lead her towards the door they'd entered from. Oliver moved around the man and took Felicity's hand into his. The man stopped. "Boomer, why'd you bring him? He isn't exactly low profile."

"He followed me. He has a misguided sense of protectiveness. You can trust him." Felicity said linking her arm back through the man's arm.

The man eyed Oliver up and down. Oliver could feel his own jaw tensing with anger. "Did he give you that shiner?"

Felicity touched her face, flustered by the question. She gently slapped his bicep. "What? No. It was Richie."

The man threw his arms up defensively. "Alright, don't get mad. It's my job to ask." Turning to Oliver, he said, "Steve Carbone, I'm Boomer's step-brother." He extended his hand and Oliver took it.

Oliver was shocked. He knew Donna had several ex-husbands, he just never imagined that Felicity ever had any step siblings. No wonder Felicity was so good at keeping his secrets, she'd been keeping her own for a lot longer. "Oliver Que," he started as a way of introduction.

"Yeah, yeah. I know who you are. Let's get out of here before anyone else recognizes you." Steve walked them out the front entrance and began to walk them around the building. When they were out of sight of the street, he stopped and pulled her into a hug. "I read about what happened in the paper. I wanted to come to the funeral, but I figured you wouldn't want to see me there."

"Thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful." Felicity said, smiling up at her step-brother. "How's everything with you, Little Stevie?" Oliver was surprised by the affection that had found its way into her voice. He was also relieved to have another mystery solved. He'd been worried about who Little Stevie was ever since Eddie mentioned him at the cafe. "It wouldn't kill you to respond to an email or a text. Are you still seeing that girl?"

"Who, Stephanie?" Felicity nodded. "Nah, she was only interested in me for my money. You know how it is. There aren't any nice girls in Vegas."

"There are plenty of nice girls in Vegas, Steven. You just have to try meeting some outside of bars and strip clubs." Felicity's tone reminded Oliver of how Thea would tease him and he wished he could call her and just hear the sound of her voice.

Steve clutched his chest and staggered back a few steps. "You wound me to my very soul." Steve turned to Oliver. "Be careful of this one, nothing ever gets by her."

Oliver grunted. "I've noticed."

They made their way to the back of the casino, to a service entrance. There were two large men at the rear door. Oliver could easily tell that both men had guns beneath their jackets. Aware of the gun resting against the small of his back, he moved to put himself between the men and Felicity, holding her behind him. Once inside, Steve led them to a well-appointed office. "Take a seat, I'm going to find dad. He's probably in the counting room. " Steve opened a closet and pulled out a black velour zip-front hooded sweatshirt and tried handing it to Felicity. "Put that on." Felicity shot him a look and he glared. "You know how he is with you. If he sees you in that outfit he'll go ballistic."

Felicity grabbed the sweatshirt from him. "Fine." She said with a huff. Steve waited for her to put it on and then left the office.

"Boomer?" Oliver asked with a smirk. "I've got to hear that story."

Felicity rolled her eyes and held her arms out for Oliver to roll her sleeves. "It's something Little Stevie and Joey," noticing Oliver's eyebrows raise at the unfamiliar name, she continued, "Joey is Stevie's little brother. Anyway, they came up with it." Oliver nodded his head, urging her to continue. "You know, Felicity Megan, F.M., radio, boom box, Boomer." Oliver laughed. "The two years mom was married to Big Stevie were probably the most fun of my childhood. They were annoying big brothers, but they were always kind to me. "

"That's because you always helped them with their homework." A voice said from behind them. "Felicity, how's my favorite step-daughter?"

Felicity rose from her seat and stepped into the man's open arms. Big Stevie was in his sixties, nearly six feet tall, at least three hundred pounds and with a thick head of silver hair. Like his son, he was dressed in an expensive suit. "Big Stevie, I'm you're only step-daughter."

Big Stevie, held Felicity tightly. "True, but it doesn't make it any less so. I'm sorry about Donna. We had our problems, but she didn't deserve to die that way."

"Thank you." She pulled back from his embrace so she could look at his face. "I'm sorry to bother you at work, but I needed to talk to you about something." Felicity said. Big Stevie let her go and noticed her companion. "Oliver, this is step-father number two, Steve Carbone. Big Stevie, this is Oliver Queen."

Big Stevie, extended his hand and Oliver took it. "Oliver, welcome to the Lucky Stars."

"Thank you, Steve." Oliver said.

"Sit, sit." He said gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. "Call me Big Stevie, everybody does." Felicity and Oliver both took seats opposite Big Stevie's desk. Steve entered the office and leaned against the wall behind his dad's desk. "Can I get you a drink?"

"No, thank you." Felicity and Oliver said simultaneously.

"Have you seen Joey? Have you heard from him?" Big Stevie asked excitedly as he leaned his bulk across the desk. He turned his focus to Oliver. "Joey's my youngest and just like Felicity, he left here to make something of himself and never looked back."

"Joe's well. We talk at least once a month. I stayed with him around New Year's." Felicity said with a smile. "He likes his residency in Central City." Oliver tried to hide his surprise. As far as he knew , the five weeks Felicity took off around the holidays had only been spent visiting a comatose Barry.

"Have you met the fiancé?" Big Stevie asked. "What's she like?"

"Jessica? Yep, when I visited. She's really pretty and smart. She makes him happy and she is clearly crazy about him. I think you'd like her." Felicity's smile became a little saddened. "He loves you Big Stevie, but this life is too much for some of us."

Big Stevie leaned back in his chair and waved his hand back and forth in front of him. "I always wanted more for my boys. I'm proud of Doctor Joey and I'd have been happy if Little Stevie had left too, but he was always more interested in girls than grades."

"Pop, I'm standing right here."Steve said with feigned annoyance.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, Felicity, but you're terrible for business when it's crawling with the NGC. Why'd you come to see me?" Big Stevie said as he settled into his chair to talk business.

"I need two favors." Felicity began. Her former step-father nodded his head and she continued. " I need you to arrange a meeting for me with Oscar."

The Stevies shot each other a look and the elder sank back into his chair. "What the hell did your mother get you involved in?"

"She stole some drugs from Jimmy Roman. He told me I needed to return the drugs or pay him off. I was able to recover the drugs." A flood of obscenities flowed from Big Stevie's mouth.

"If you have the drugs why don't you give them to him." Steve asked.

"She also owes him $100,000, which I don't exactly have." Felicity watched Big Stevie shoot a look at Oliver and raise his eyebrows. Felicity reached out and placed her hand on Oliver's forearm. "Oliver is just learning all of this tonight. Besides, my mom isn't his responsibility."

"So, you want to meet with Oscar and ask him, what? To forgive your mom's debt and get Jimmy off your back. Did he threaten you?" Big Stevie's jovial demeanor had been replaced with cold anger.

"A little bit." She said with a shrug of her shoulder.

Steve laughed sharply. "You always had a gift for understatement." His father shot him a tight look.

"Can you help arrange a meeting with Oscar?" Felicity asked hopefully.

Big Stevie stared at her for a minute before he said, "I don't like this one bit, but I'll make a few calls." He put out his hand to stop her from speaking. "I'm afraid to ask. What's the second favor?"

Felicity reached into her purse and pulled out the stack of markers and reached across the desk to hand them to Big Stevie. "We were cleaning out mom's place today and I found them. She owes a lot of people a lot of money. I recognize some of the names from the old days, but I don't recognize most of them. I was hoping you could act as an intermediary for me so I can settle her accounts. I don't want anyone else showing up in Starling City thinking they can get a big payday with Oliver's money. I'm not sure if I can cover everything at once, but I thought if you were willing to help me settle the accounts I could pay you back as I'm able."

Big Stevie thumbed through the stack of markers. "Has anyone contacted you?"

Felicity shifted in her chair. Oliver was foolish to have thought that Jimmy was the only one who had made contact with her. The vultures had clearly started circling around her before they even left Starling City. His jaw began to flex and his fingers dug into the arms of his chair. If Oliver wasn't already angry about what happened earlier, he'd be furious. She was lucky they were in a building populated with men carrying firearms, otherwise, he'd be using his loud voice. From the look Felicity was giving him, he knew he was already wearing his grumpy face." Has someone else been threatening you?" He demanded to know with a growl.

She shot him a look letting him know his tone was unappreciated. "Not exactly threats, but a reminder that my mom's debts were expected to be paid."

"Who contacted you?" Big Stevie asked with a growl to rival Oliver's.

"Listen, I don't want any trouble with anyone. I just want to settle mom's accounts so I can put everything behind me. I know it is a lot to ask and you and mom have been divorced a long time and you don't owe me anything. " Felicity said moving to Big Stevie's side of the desk.

Big Stevie flipped the bundled stack of markers to his son. "We'll take care of this. You don't need to worry about any of it."

"I don't want anyone to get hurt." Felicity said to Steve.

"No one needs to get hurt." Big Stevie said. "I'll take care of Donna's debts." He took her hand. "When I saw what happened to you on the news, I knew Donna had to be in real serious trouble. She hadn't come to me for help, but then again, she hadn't spoken to me in years. I wish she'd told me what was going on. Anyways, I started asking around and letting it be known if anyone was holding markers on Donna to bring them to me and I'd make good."

"Are there more than these?" Felicity sat down heavily on the edge of the desk, the weight of her mom's burden finally catching up with her. "How much? I'll pay you back, I promise."

"You'll do no such thing." Felicity moved to protest but Big Stevie silenced her with a look. "Listen here, Donna was a terrible wife, but you've always been a good kid. I don't want any of this touching you. Consider your mom's debts all paid. You don't owe me nothing. I'll also let it be known that if anyone goes near you again, looking to collect so much as a nickel from you or this golden boy of yours, I will make sure they are buried so deep in the desert even God won't find them."

Felicity choked back a sob and threw her arms around Big Stevie's neck. "I don't know what to say, other than thank you."

"Go back to Starling City, have the life you worked so hard to make for yourself. Be happy. Don't come back here again. There's nothing left for you here." Big Stevie kissed Felicity on the cheek. "I'm proud of you kiddo." Felicity kissed Big Stevie on the cheek. "Now, write down a number where I can reach you and I'll call you when I know where you can meet Oscar." Felicity wrote down the number to her burner phone and handed it to him.

Oliver stood up. "How much to settle Donna's accounts?" Felicity moved away from Big Stevie and returned to Oliver's side."

"I said the debt is settled and she doesn't owe me. I'm a man of my word." Big Stevie said defensively.

Oliver realized that this man considered Felicity part of his family and honor was driving him to handle the bookies, but he also knew that families weren't above asking for favors. He didn't want Felicity to be indebted to anyone for any reason. "I don't doubt that, but I would prefer that we not have any confusion in the future. How much?"

Felicity turned into his body, her chest firmly pressed against his. "What are you doing?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"Mr. Queen, you might not realize how things are done around here, but I'm feeling a bit insulted. I said the debt was paid." Big Stevie pulled his heavy bulk up from his chair.

Oliver pulled Felicity around him and held her to his back with one arm, her good arm snaked around his abdomen. With the other hand he pulled the top of his shirt down to reveal his Bratva tattoo. "I understand all too well how things are done." Oliver watched as the two men realized exactly who they were dealing with. "Felicity is my responsibility. If there are any debts to be paid, they are mine to pay." Felicity tensed behind him.

"Boomer, do you know what you have gotten yourself involved with?" Steve asked with alarm, taking a concerned step towards his sister.

Big Stevie grabbed his son's arm to arrest his forward movement and shot him a warning glance. "It looks like the misunderstanding was mine. I apologize for any insult we may have given."

"I know you're only trying to help Felicity and your actions are appreciated. Just tell me how much and I will wire the money into whatever account you'd like today." Oliver could feel Felicity rest her head against his back as her arm tightened around his middle.

Big Stevie bent over his desk and scribbled some numbers onto a notepad. He tore out a page and handed it to his son. Steve approached Oliver and held the page out to him. Oliver glanced at the page, hiding his relief that he had access to enough funds to pay this debt. He had an old account from his A.R.G.U.S. days that he never touched. It was blood money, but he'd gladly spend it to keep Felicity safe. He put the paper in his pocket. "Thank you." Oliver nodded at the men and reached for Felicity's hand. She laced her fingers through his and moved towards the door.

"I have one question for you, Queen." Big Stevie said rising from his chair. "If you're a Bratva Captain, why haven't you arranged a meeting with Oscar?" Oscar looked to Felicity, but she averted her eyes. "Oscar Orlov is Bratva."

Oliver shut his eyes as he processed everything . Oscar Orlov, also known as the Lion, was one of the most ruthless of the Bratva Captains located in the United States. Oliver would be able to take care of this for Felicity, but he wasn't sure what the price would be. This situation could quickly spin out of control. Oliver leaned into Felicity and whispered into her ear. "You didn't think to tell me that Oscar was Russian?"

Felicity turned her head up to his ear and whispered, "I'm sorry. I know it's stupid of me, but I never made the connection."

Oliver stood up straight and removed his cell from his pocket. "Do you mind?" Big Stevie shook his head. Oliver pulled up the contact he was looking for and waited for an answer. "_Hello, Anatoly. I hope this isn't a bad time._"

"_Oliver, my favorite American. I always have time for you. What do you need?_" The Russian asked.

Oliver kept the smile from his face, but he always enjoyed speaking with Anatoly. He often forgot that this man who had always been so gentle with him and had provided him protection when he needed it most was also one of the most ruthless men he'd ever encountered. You don't become the head of the Bratva by being a nice guy. "_I need you to arrange a meeting with the Lion._"

"_The Lion? Oliver, what kind of trouble did you get yourself into now?_" His friend asked with concern.

"_Not me, a friend._" Oliver gave a tight smile to Felicity who was chewing on her fingers.

"_A woman, I might have known. What has happened?_" The lightness had returned to Anatoly's voice.

"_We have something that we'd like to return to him in exchange for his pardon._"

"_Oliver, you know he will ask a favor of you? It is our way. I cannot intercede for you._" The concern had returned to Anatoly's voice.

"_I know._" Oliver was resigned to the fact that this deal would come at a heavy price.

"_What do you want me to tell him?_"

"_Tell him, I have what Donna Smoak took from him._"

"_Ah, now I understand. Only Felicity_ _would make you ask a favor of the Lion._" Anatoly said gently. "_I will call you when it is all arranged._"

"_Thank you, Anatoly._" Oliver ended the call and nodded at Felicity.

Felicity put her arms around her step-brother. "Don't be a stranger."

"Be safe, Boomer." He looked at Oliver. "The Bratva are dangerous."

"I'll be fine. I've got Oliver with me." She said taking Oliver's hand.

"Felicity," Big Stevie called to her, "when you talk to Joey next, tell him that his father misses him and loves him."

"He knows, but I'll tell him anyway." Felicity flashed Big Stevie a sad smile.

"Queen." Big Stevie's voice had gone cold. "You look after my girl. She's my family and anyone who hurts my family doesn't stay healthy for long."

Oliver nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Thank you for your help. You'll have your money before the end of the day." Oliver only hoped they lived long enough.

As soon as they were outside the casino and back onto the sidewalk he could sense Felicity was about to launch into her loud voice. Sometimes, she could be unbelievable. He was the one that was supposed to be furious, but clearly his offer to pay Big Stevie back had ticked her off. He pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up over her head. "You can yell at me all you want, but it really needs to wait until this is all over." She glared at him but nodded her head in agreement.

**Notes: Thank you for reading. **

**One more day until the second episode of the new season. I don't know if my heart can take it.**

**Next up: Two Bratva Captains come to an understanding.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes: Thank you for all of your reviews on the last chapter. You know how to make a writer feel good. I also appreciate all the new readers who have made both this story and The Ties That Bind a favorite.**

**As in the last chapter, any dialogue that appears italicized is intended to indicate that Russian is being spoken.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

They'd been sitting inside the Shelby for ten minutes in complete silence. Both too angry at each other to speak. He didn't think it was possible to love someone so much and be so furious with them at the same time. He glanced over at Felicity who was staring out the front window, her body rigid and her fists clenched in her lap. He knew she was angry about him paying off her mom's debts, but he didn't want her owing anyone, anything. He was about to say something to her when his cell rang. "_Hello."_

"_It is all arranged. He is waiting for you now at one of his clubs, Fever - and Oliver, I'm sorry, he wants you to bring Felicity. Good luck._" Anatoly ended the call.

"The meeting is at a club called, Fever." Oliver said.

"I remember the place. My mom waited tables there." Felicity turned to face him. "I know you're about to tell me that you're taking me back to the hotel, but I'm going with you. You can yell all you want but, like it or not, I'm going with you."

Oliver sighed. "Well, I'm not going to yell because Oscar will only see me if I bring you with me, so as much as I'd like to take you back to the hotel and handcuff you to something bolted to the floor, it looks like you're coming with me."

Felicity appeared to be momentarily stunned and then said, "Well then, okay. I guess we're going to Fever."

Oliver leaned over the console grabbed her face and pulled her into a quick kiss. He held her face between his hands and locked eyes with her. "You need to promise me something, Felicity. You're going to do exactly what I say without question. You're going to follow my lead and go along with everything I say. Most importantly, I need you not to talk. Okay?" She nodded her head. "Felicity, I need to hear you say it."

"I promise." She said.

Oliver released her and reached for the wires beneath the dash. "Looks like you're going to get to add a Russian mafia drug deal to your list of felonies." With his last words, the Shelby roared to life.

By the time they reached Fever it was nearly 5:00am and the club had been closed for an hour. The first hints of the breaking dawn were stretching over the horizon. A man was waiting for them when they arrived. Oliver lifted his arms so the man could pat him down. Oliver had left Donna's gun under the driver's seat of the car. When the man moved to pat down Felicity Oliver growled and the man lowered his hands. The frisking portion of their morning over, Oliver and Felicity were ushered inside. Oliver had the duffle of meth over his shoulder and Felicity's hand held tightly in his as they entered the club. Oliver looked around, scanning his environment. From owning Verdant he knew first hand that a club never looked more seedy than when the lights were all the way up and all the customers were gone. The cloying smell of alcohol and sweat permeated the air. The sofas and chairs that the customers flirted on were stained and cheap looking under the bright fluorescent lights. The floors were sticky and squeaked with every step they took. In addition to the man who met them outside there were five other men standing around, all armed. A woman was mopping the floor, another was collecting glasses from tables and a third was behind the bar cleaning. If things went pear shaped, it was going to take all his wits to get them both out alive.

A man entered the room from a door at the very back of the club. He was in his fifties, bald and had a scar across his chin. His nose appeared to have been broken more than once and his right ear told of time spent in a boxing ring. Oscar Orlov looked as fierce as his reputation indicated. Oscar took Oliver by the shoulders and kissed both of his cheeks as he said, "Oliver Queen it is an honor to have you in my club."

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us." Oliver said.

Oscar turned to Felicity. "Felicity, I haven't seen you since you were a little girl. You certainly have grown into a beautiful woman. You were such a strange little girl - with the computers and that frizzy hair. I guess you did get your mother's beauty after all." He kissed both of her cheeks. Felicity used the embrace to send Oliver a withering glare.

When Oscar moved away, Oliver pulled Felicity protectively against his side. He wanted nothing more than to punch Oscar in his face for saying anything that could hurt her feelings. Swinging the duffle from his shoulder, he said, "I believe this belongs to you."

Oscar cocked his head and one of the men took the duffle from Oliver. "Thank you. This was a sad business. I don't know what got into Donna. She put her trust in the wrong man. Of course, if we'd realized that Felicity was your woman, we would've gone about things differently. You should really make a public claim to her in order to prevent misunderstandings like this in the future." Felicity snorted in disgust and Oliver shot her a silencing look.

Felicity had been furious when he made her his Executive Assistant, being reduced to Oliver Queen's _woman _could only be worse. He squeezed her hand in apology. "It is a mistake I plan to rectify as soon as possible."

"_Come, we will discuss business._" Oliver followed Oscar with Felicity in tow. Oscar turned and said, "_Leave her here. What we discuss is between us._"

"_She goes where I go._" Oliver said tightening his grip on her hand. "_S he doesn't understand Russian, she is no threat to us._"

"_You want to protect your woman, I admire that._" Oscar studied Felicity. "_Her mother was a lying whore that got what she deserved. I hope her daughter shows more loyalty._"

Oliver nodded. "_I shed no tears for her mother._"

Felicity watched their interaction but showed no reaction to their exchange. Satisfied that Felicity couldn't understand what was being said_, _Oscar relented. "_Okay, she can come._"

Oscar led them through a maze of hallways and down a flight of stairs into the basement. As they descended the stairs, Oliver looked back and saw the fear on Felicity's face. He squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. He didn't trust Oscar, but he didn't think he'd risk the wrath of Anatoly by killing them, at least not before they had a chance to talk. She gave him a weak smile in return. Two men stood outside of a nondescript door and opened it at their approach. Oliver and Felicity followed Oscar into his office. "_Please sit._" Oscar indicated two chairs opposite his desk. Oliver led Felicity over to a chair and nodded his head. She sat down, reluctantly releasing his hand. Oscar poured two shots of vodka. "_Strength._"

"_Strength._" Both men swallowed their shots and then took their seats.

"_Did you kill Jimmy Roman?_" Oliver raised his eyebrows at Oscar's question. He'd expected Jimmy to have already been recovered.

"_When I left them, Roman and his man were alive and locked in their car trunk. Your man Victor knows where we met." _Oliver said with disdain. "_Your men are without honor._"

Oscar nodded his head. "Yes, I will speak with them about that." He opened a ledger that was sitting on his desk and began to search through it before settling on a page. "_Now that we have our merchandise back, there is still the matter of the $100,000, not to mention the inconvenience._" Oscar said, his hands pressed together, as if in prayer, tapped against his chin.

"_I will gladly pay you that sum and any interest owed._" Oliver offered.

"_I think, money is a cheap commodity between us. Wouldn't you agree?_"Oscar poured out two more shots of vodka. "_Your reputation as Knyazev's enforcer is widely known and much admired. The creativity you showed with your brutality put fear into many men. I'm surprised Knyazev let you leave his side. Men such as you, are very valuable within our organization._"

Oliver reached for the shot glass and drank, swallowing the silent curse that rested on his tongue. It was as he feared and Anatoly warned. The Lion wasn't going to let him leave with a promise to pay the money Donna owed. He was going to exact another form of payment, one, Oliver, knew would come at a much higher cost. He would do anything to keep Felicity safe, he just hoped whatever Oscar asked him to do wouldn't cost him Felicity's love. Felicity was intently watching him and he was doing his best to keep his face blank. He saw her make the slightest of winces and a look of worry clouded her face. In that moment, Oliver wished he'd left her upstairs. She could read him too well. "_I am in your debt. What do you need?_"

"_The Bratva no longer have a presence in Starling. I find myself wondering why a Captain wouldn't establish a new crew under his authority._" Oscar leaned forward and looked eager to hear Oliver's response. "_Have you lost a taste for the life, Oliver._" He nodded at Felicity and leered. "_Has she softened you?_'

Oliver knew the insult to his potency was meant as a challenge, but he couldn't risk escalating their situation. As long as Felicity was with him, he needed to avoid violence at all costs. "_My priorities are elsewhere for the Bratva. Anatoly is not interested in establishing a large presence in Starling. He has other plans for me." _Anatoly did have other plans for Oliver, they just consisted of leaving him alone to live a life untouched by the Bratva.

"_Yes, but I am. There is money to be made in Starling now that the competition has been run out of town or thrown in to jail. I'm glad we don't have the Arrow complicating things here in Vegas._" Oscar said as he lit a cigarette.

The last thing Oliver or Starling City needed was the Bratva filling the gap vacated by the Triad. "_You understand that I will not welcome another Captain in my territory. Debt or no debt."_

_Oscar laughed. "Relax, I don't wish to take over your territory. I just would like access to your port and help when complications arise. I will gladly pay you a fee for everything that comes through Starling._"

Oliver would be more than happy to give him access to the Starling ports, but the Arrow might have other ideas. _"I can assist with port access for fifty percent of what comes through my city._"

Oscar exhaled a plume of smoke. "_Excellent, I'm glad that is settled. But the ports are business not a way to settle debts. I think your other area of expertise might be of more value to me._"

"_What do you want me to do?_" Oliver asked with as much disinterest as he could feign.

Oscar smiled and Felicity took a sharp breath. Oliver's heart sank as he saw the look in Oscar's eyes. Oscar's lips might have been turned up in a smile, but his eyes were cold and full of malice. "_I don't know yet, but I will let you know._"

**Notes: Thank you for reading. Only two more chapters left.**

**Next up: Oliver and Felicity return to their hotel.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and your continued support of this story. Getting the opportunity to have a dialogue with so many of you over the course of the story has been as much fun as writing the story.**

**This is the penultimate chapter. Oliver and Felicity get to catch their breath after the excitement of their evening.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

The promise of a new day was breaking on the horizon in a swirl of pink and purple. Oliver and Felicity walked in silence back to the Shelby. Oliver's arm was draped protectively over Felicity's shoulder, her arm around his waist, fingers gripping a loop on his jeans. They fit together comfortably, aware of each other's bodies in a way that only comes from a shared intimacy. Years of swinging on ropes, out of windows and across zip lines together had them responding to one another as if they were practiced lovers. As soon as they got to the car, he retrieved the gun and began to wipe down every surface with a cloth he'd taken from Fever. He could feel Felicity's eyes following him as he moved quickly to remove any trace of them. A stolen car was always a low police priority and he wasn't too concerned about DNA. Mr. Turner would get his car back and would only be out a tank of gas and the cost of replacing the ignition wire. Satisfied with his efforts, he reached for Felicity's hand and led her away from Fever.

After a few blocks he stopped to hail a cab. As the cab approached he lifted the hood back over Felicity's head and raised the zipper to her chin. The look on her face as he caught her eye confused him. He couldn't read what she was thinking and he was unsettled not knowing what was going on inside her head. He cupped her cheek in his hand and released a breath he didn't realize he was holding when she leaned into him.

By the time they returned to the hotel, the early light of dawn was chasing the shadows from their suite's living room. Felicity collapsed heavily onto the sofa, pulling her wig off before she even reached the cushions. She leaned over, her chest resting against her knees as she ran her fingers through her hair. Unlacing her boots, she lifted her right leg and caught Oliver watching her. She inclined her head and Oliver knelt in front of her, placing one hand behind her knee and with the other grasped her heel and pulled her boot off. He repeated the process with her left boot. He gently pushed her knees apart so he could kneel between them. Felicity removed the cap form his head and threw it next to her discarded wig. She ran her nails across his scalp and down the back of his neck. Oliver closed his eyes and allowed the sensation of her fingers to flow across him. The tension of the last six hours slowly melted away. Her lips pressing against his caused him to open his eyes. Her eyes were fixed to his and he could see need in her look. His hands traveled to her hips and he pulled her to the edge of the sofa so she was pressed against his chest, her legs wrapping around the back of his thighs. Her tongue flashed against his lips and he opened to her with a sigh. She responded by deepening the kiss and awakening a hunger in Oliver he'd done his best to keep locked away. Her eyes widened for an instant and then he saw his own desire reflected back at him. Felicity's fingers pulled on his shirt and Oliver broke the kiss in order to lift his arms over his head. As he was freed from his shirt, the sound of something hitting the floor made them both stop. The gun that had been tucked into the waist of his jeans had been dislodged with her efforts to remove his shirt. Felicity's bottom lip was caught between her teeth, her eyes locked onto the gun. "Felicity?" he asked reaching for her.

"I want to go home," she said softly, her eyes never leaving the gun.

"Okay, we can go whenever you want." Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Can we go now?" She asked hopefully.

"Sure, if you want to." She nodded, but her eyes remained on the gun. Oliver grabbed the weapon and returned it to his jeans. He stood up and put his shirt back on. "I'll call the pilots now."

Felicity finally raised her head to look at him. "Thank you. I'm going to take a shower and then I should do something about the cameras."

Oliver held out his hand to help pull her to her feet. "Cameras?"

"Do you know how many street cameras there are in Vegas?" He shook his head. "Well, neither do I, but there are a lot and if we were caught on one that's one too many." She continued talking to herself as she walked to her bedroom. "I can probably modify the facial recognition software I'm using to find Thea on social media to see if anyone from the public put up our pictures." Oliver watched as she disappeared behind the closing door.

Oliver called the pilot who assured him that they'd be ready to depart in two hours. Oliver decided he needed a shower and a gallon of coffee. Making coffee seemed like too much work, so he opted for the shower.

When he reemerged from his room, freshly washed and changed, he found Felicity sitting cross-legged on the sofa, her tablet resting against her knees and her hair wrapped in a towel. "Looks like Vegas had a malfunction with its cameras last night. Whoops," she said with a smile.

He leaned against the doorjamb of his room. "The pilots will be ready for us as soon as we get there."

"Thank you. I'm tired and I really want to wake up in my own bed and not here." Oliver smiled at her, grabbed his suitcase and moved it to the front door. Felicity was staring at him when he turned around. "So, do you want me to do the money transfer for you?" She must have seen the hesitation on his face because she said, "Relax, Oliver. I know about your A.R.G.U.S. account."

He couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of him. "Of course you do. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

She tilted her head. "I just figured that if you hadn't touched it when QC stock started trading for pennies, forcing you to live in a secret basement lair, you were never going to touch it." Felicity bit her lip and Oliver could tell she was trying to decide if she should say something else. Cautiously, she said, "I also know the account was opened five years ago. I must have missed the bank branch when we visited Minefield Island."

"Felicity." He didn't even know how to begin to explain.

"You don't need to tell me." Her attention returned to her tablet.

Oliver moved to sit beside her on the sofa. "I want to tell you." She nodded. "I wasn't on the island the whole time." Which she had clearly reasoned out and didn't need him to tell her.

"I kind of figured. Where were you?" She asked softly.

Oliver suddenly felt himself at a loss for words. He'd spent years locking away all of these memories and never intended to share them with anyone. How could he explain where he was all that time? How could he explain about A.R.G.U.S. and the Bratva without chasing her away for good. He'd returned home a monster and she'd seen that, but she'd also seen something else. Why else would she have stayed and shared his mission? With her help, he'd spent the past two years reclaiming his humanity.

In the beginning, he'd tried to resist Waller and her death threats against him had failed to deter him from his early attempts at escape. Eventually, he succumbed to her threats and had shocked himself with how easily he became a murderer. If he told Felicity this, would she ever look at him the same way? Looking at the trust in her eyes, he knew he couldn't be with her if he kept the truth from her. "After Slade, after the Amazo sank, I woke up in Hong Kong." Her eyes darted to where the Chinese characters lay hidden underneath his shirt. "Somehow, Waller and A.R.G.U.S. had found me." His hands were clasped together so tightly his knuckles had begun to turn white. "She promised if I worked for her, she'd let me go home. If I refused, she threatened to kill me and when that wasn't enough she threatened others that I cared for. I just wanted to go home. " He could feel his memories threatening to overwhelm him and he took a moment to collect himself. Felicity waited patiently with moist eyes. "I stayed in Hong Kong for a while to be trained, but, eventually, I went where she sent me." Oliver could feel himself detaching from the moment and sliding away from her into his past. She must have sensed it, because she surrounded his hands with her own. Taking a deep breath he said, "I was an assassin for A.R.G.U.S. That's where I got the money – it was payment for services rendered."

"And you never considered touching it until today?" She asked neutrally.

"It's blood money, I couldn't." Realizing where she was going with her line of questions he hurried to say, "But if I can protect you with it and keep you safe, there isn't a choice to make." He waited for her to fight him, to argue that she wouldn't use the A.R.G.U.S. money to pay her mom's debt, instead she handed him her tablet. His account was opened on the screen with Big Stevie's account entered into the transfer field. He entered the amount promised and completed the transaction.

"Thank you," she said.

"It's only money," he offered.

"I don't care about the money." She pressed her hand against his cheek to draw his eyes to hers. "Thank you for telling me." He didn't see any judgment in her eyes and swallowed heavily in relief. She smiled and said, "Let's go home."

It was just before noon when he pulled in front of Felicity's. Lance had notified them the day before that she could return home. Diggle and Roy had spent the day cleaning her apartment to remove any trace of Richie's assault. Oliver had just put Felicity's suitcase on the curb when the sound of his trunk closing caused him to turn. She was holding his suitcase. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"We haven't slept for forty hours and you're not going back to the lair to sleep." She said in a tone that didn't welcome an argument.

"I'll be fine. I can sleep anywhere." He watched as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. She was glancing nervously at her building. It occurred to him that she hadn't been home since her abduction and she might be nervous to be alone. "Of course, Ray and Diggle are probably training and making a lot of noise."

"So, you'll stay?" She asked hopefully.

"If you'll have me." Oliver knew he'd made the right decision when a smile of relief spread across her face. He took both of their bags and followed her inside.

When they entered the apartment she did a quick scan of her living room. There wasn't a trace of the altercation. "Dig?"

"And Roy," he said putting down his suitcase. He stepped around her so he could put her suitcase down inside her bedroom.

She followed him into the bedroom. "Are you hungry? I know we ate on the plane, but you didn't eat much. The inside of my fridge is probably a level three bio hazard, but I probably have some granola bars or ice cream."

He smiled. "No, thank you. I'm not hungry, just tired. Are you hungry? Dig mentioned he needed a hazmat suit to clean out your fridge, but he also said he bought you some groceries."

She kicked off her shoes and removed her glasses. "I'm too tired to eat."

Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Get some rest." He started for the door.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Her voice raising slightly.

"To the living room." He answered.

"For what? Do you need something?"

"I'm going to go sleep on the couch." In the past twenty-four hours things had shifted between them and sharing a bed was no longer something they could do platonically. They needed to talk before things shifted again in their relationship.

"I think I've proven that your virtue is safe with me." She teased.

He smiled, "Yes, but that was before."

"Are you saying that I'm completely irrisistible?" Her face broke into a huge smile. "I'm sorry to tell you, but I'm so tired, you've become completely resistible." Felicity flopped onto her bed.

Oliver couldn't help but laugh as he toed off his shoes. "That sounds like a challenge, but I'm too tired to test it or argue." The truth was, he didn't want to go to sleep without her, not today or ever. He closed the curtains against the noonday sun and dropped onto the bed next to her.

Felicity reached across the bed, her fingers linking with his. Through a yawn she said to him, "Goodnight, Oliver. Or, good afternoon or, whatever it is."

Oliver squeezed her hand, "Goodnight, Felicity."

**Notes: Thank you for reading.**

**Next up: Oliver and Felicity wake up together and she does something surprising.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes: Here is the final chapter to this story. I want to thank all of my readers who have stuck with me from The Ties That Bind. I have been lucky enough to have loyal readers who have been kind enough to correspond with me throughout the series. It has been a privilege writing back and forth with you. You have been generous with your praise and support, made me laugh and you have made me think, thank you. **

**I hope you enjoy this final chapter.**

**The Arrow characters and universe do not belong to me.**

Oliver's eyes opened to complete darkness. It took him a second to remember where he was and to register what woke him. Curled up on her side, her face buried in her pillow, Felicity was crying. He rolled onto his side and pulled her back against his chest. "Hey, what's wrong?" The clock on the bedside told him he'd been asleep for ten hours. He wondered how long she'd been crying before he woke. "Is it about your mom?" She shook her head. "Is it about the money?" She shook her head again. "Was it something I did?" She took a shuttering breath and his heart sank. He'd done something to make her cry. "Are you crying because I kissed you?"

She let out a half-sob-half-laugh and shifted so she was laying on her back. She cupped his cheek and lifted her head so she could capture his bottom lip between hers. "I like kissing you – a lot. It's better than I imagined it would be."

"You've thought about kissing me?" He asked trying to lighten her mood.

"No, I only make sexual innuendos at men I have platonic feelings for." She said seriously.

"I bet, I've wanted to kiss you longer," he said smoothing her hair away from her face.

"I doubt it." She grinned.

He gently kissed her. "I've wanted to kiss you from the moment I stepped into your office and you turned around and started to babble."

She groaned. " I told you that you're dad drowned. Not one of my better moments. You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen and you were talking to me and I was completely flustered."

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you." He kissed her again slowly but pulled away when he felt her tears. "Hey, please tell me what's wrong."

"Why did you tell them you're Bratva? We could've fixed it without you telling them."

"It was the fastest way to end it. I just wish you told me when you received the first call. I could've fixed it for you without ever leaving Starling."

"I didn't want you to fix it that way."

He had doubted whether she was being truthful at the Lucky Star when she said she didn't know about Oscar being Russian or Bratva. His girl was a genius after all. "I thought you said you didn't know Oscar was Bratva."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to have a fight with you in front of the Stevies." She lowered the neck of his t-shirt to touch his Bratva tattoo. "The day you told me who you were, I saw this tattoo. I didn't know what it meant, but I'd seen it before on Oscar. After our Russia trip, that's when I realized that Oscar must be Bratva too."

"So, why didn't you tell me? You had to know I'd do anything to help."

"That's why. I didn't want you to do _anything_ to help. I didn't want you to reveal yourself because I knew that it would come at a price. What did he make you promise?"

Oliver sighed. The closer they became the harder it would be to keep anything from her. "You're burdened with too many of my secrets. It's not your job to protect me, but I think I've turned it into your full-time job." Oliver was grateful for everything Felicity had done for him, but he'd always felt guilty that their relationship seemed so one-sided. For once, he was going to be able to do something to help her.

"I love protecting you." She paused and he could tell she was trying to decide if she needed to take her last statement back. She must have decided that she could say it without qualification because she continued, "Which is why I didn't want you to have to pretend that you're Bratva to protect me."

Oliver stiffened at her words. "I wasn't pretending. I am Bratva."

"No, you were Bratva." She began to argue.

Oliver rolled over so his chest was pressed against hers, their foreheads touching. He could feel the heat from her lips as they traded air between them. The darkness made him brave. "Felicity, listen to me. This is important for you to understand. I am Bratva." When she didn't pull away he continued, "I earned this tattoo and there is only one way to do that. I killed people – no – I murdered them. I never enjoyed it, but I was good at it and I was rewarded for it. Not all of the people I killed were bad and, at the time, it didn't matter to me." He could feel her silent tears filling the hand that cupped her cheek. He knew his own tears were falling and mixing with hers. "If we're going to be together, you have to know this. You have to know that these hands that so want to worship you," he lowered one of his hands from her face, tracing the line of her body until it rested on the exposed skin of her stomach,his fingers ghosting just beneath the waist of her jeans, "are the same hands that have stopped beating hearts in cold blood."

"No," she whispered. "I won't let you do this to yourself or us. You're not Bratva, you were Bratva. I'm not naive. I knew what you were the moment you showed up in my backseat. I knew you were a killer, but I saw you. The first time you showed up in my office and every time after I saw the man that I'm holding now. I see you and I know that that is not who you are, it was what you were made to be." Felicity moved her hand to his shoulder and gently rolled him onto his back. "I have watched you for the past two years and I know who you are because you show me everyday." She raised herself and tucked her knees beneath her and against his side. Her hand traveled down the center of his chest to just above his belt buckle. His hands flew to capture hers. After a moment her fingers began to gather his shirt into her hand and she began to pull it free from his jeans. With a flick of her wrist she got him to release her hand and she began to draw his t-shirt up. He lifted his back off the bed and raised his arms over his head as she removed his shirt. There was nothing sexual about her touch, it was tender and gentle like it was when she was treating one of his wounds. "I know that the killer didn't make his first appearance when you arrived back in Starling. The killer was forged with every cruel blow that struck you." Felicity's weight shifted on the bed and Oliver's breath hitched as her lips landed on his very first scar. She placed a gentle kiss where Yao Fei's arrow pierced his shoulder. As quickly as her lips appeared they disappeared and then reappeared on the wound given to him by Billy Wintergreen. In the darkness she didn't need to trail her fingers across his flesh to find her target. Her lips were guided by her memory and Felicity placed a gentle kiss on every scar on his arms, chest and abdomen. When she finished, her last kiss lingering on the scar given to him by his mother, she rolled him gently onto his stomach. "You became what you needed to become in order to survive. I will never fault you for what you did. It brought you home and eventually into my life." She began the same process again and gentle kisses began to rain down on his back. When she got to the burn on his lower back, she placed a kiss on his spine and then laid her cheek against the burn. "You are no longer what they turned you into. You are so much more than that. It's okay to forgive yourself." She began to leave a trail of kisses going up his spine, punctuating each kiss with her words. "You are a good man. - You are an honorable man. - You are a hero. - You are my hero. - You are my Oliver."

Oliver was overwhelmed by Felicity's actions. She had managed to overwrite every act of cruelty, violence and pain that had been branded across his flesh with love, compassion and tenderness. He didn't deserve this woman who had committed his pain to memory and sought to banish it with a touch. He rolled back towards her and in one fluid movement he had her on her back with his head resting on her stomach. His arms tightened around her as his body was racked with sobs. He'd been home for two years and had never shed a tear over what had happened to him while he was gone. He wasn't crying over the injuries or the pain. He'd learned that physical pain was transitory and his reaction to it could be controlled. He cried for the boy who was too squeamish to kill a pheasant, even though he was starving. He cried for the boy who allowed anger to control him and ended another man's life with his bare hands and a rock. He cried for the boy who allowed fear to control him and drove an arrow through the eye of his best friend. He cried for the boy who lost control of his destiny and became a man who killed because he was told to. He cried for the man he became, who only saw people as threats or targets in order to survive. For the first time, someone had truly acknowledged and understood what he'd been through and what it had cost him. Felicity accepted him and maybe she was right, he needed to find a way to forgive himself for what he'd done in the past. He held her tightly as he cried for what he'd lost, for what he'd become, for every person that he'd loved and lost and for every life he'd taken. Felicity gently stroked his head and rubbed soothing circles with her fingertips across his back. As his sobs began to subside, exhaustion began to take hold. As he began to regain control, the words she'd been whispering began to register. "I'm here. I've got you." She was repeating the words over and over again like a mantra. He drifted to sleep and for the first time since he returned home, he allowed himself to believe that he deserved a future. Oliver began to recognize the unfamiliar emotion for what it was, hope.

It was just past midnight when Oliver woke. The room was bathed in a soft light from a lamp on her bedside table. His head was still pillowed on Felicity's stomach and his arm was still holding her tight. One of his legs was thrown over hers, trapping them between his. Felicity was still running her fingers across his head. He lifted his head to look at her. "Have you been awake this whole time?"

She smiled and ran her hand across his stubble. "Yes."

"I'm sorry, you should've woken me, or shoved me off." He said as he stretched out beside her.

"That's okay. I liked being your pillow." She said shyly.

"Thank you." He felt like an idiot. What she'd done for him deserved so much more than, thank you.

"You're welcome." Felicity smiled as she placed her hand over his.

He turned his hand over so their palms were facing and linked his fingers through hers. "Thank you sounds so inadequate. I have all these thoughts and feelings but I don't know how to tell you. I'm not good with words the way you are."

Felicity burst out laughing. At the look of confusion on his face, she said, "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you. I just can't believe you think I'm good with words."

Oliver tilted his head and smiled at her. "At times, you have a unique way of putting a sentence together, but I always know what you mean." He pulled her hand over his heart. "I wish I could make you feel the way you made me feel, so you would know." He could feel his eyes brimming with tears. "I need to explain."

"Try, you don't have to be perfect." Felicity encouraged.

Oliver closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind and just remember what he'd felt in the darkness after she'd covered him with kisses. His eyes opened and he smiled at her. "Whole." He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them. "You made me feel whole." He turned her hand over and placed a kiss on her palm. Overwhelmed with emotion, he switched the subject. "So, what have you been thinking about for two hours?"

She laughed, "That's a very dangerous question to ask me. You know what comes out of my mouth, imagine what I keep inside."

"Are you okay?" He asked with concern. "The last two days have been pretty intense."

"I wasn't actually thinking about that." She shifted so they were facing one another, pulling their joined hands against her chest. "I'm just trying to figure out how we finally got here. I thought we'd just circle around each other forever and now you're in my bed and I know what it's like to kiss you."

Oliver leaned in and kissed her. "I know what you mean, but now it feels like it's always been this way."

Felicity smiled and returned his kiss. Suddenly her face became serious. "I know what I want, Oliver. Do you?"

He did know exactly what he wanted. " You. I want you." Felicity's lips crashed into his, her hands eagerly exploring his back and chest. As his hand ran over the clasp on her bra, he pulled away. "Wait, wait," he said trying to get control of his breathing.

"What's wrong?" Her breathing was just as ragged as his.

Nothing was wrong, everything felt right. If he had to pick one word he'd choose perfect and he wanted it to stay perfect. His track record with relationships was not something he was proud of and he didn't want to start one with Felicity in a rush. He wanted her to be his forever. "I think we're skipping a few steps."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Will you go out to dinner with me?" He asked, suddenly nervous.

She giggled and Oliver had to resist kissing her. "Are you asking me out on a date - a date-date?"

"Yes." He said with as much conviction as he could muster.

"Yes," she answered with uncertainty, "but,"

"But?" He asked as butterflies swarmed in his stomach. Oliver didn't like the hesitation in her response.

She rested her hand above his heart. "But, not a first date."

"You won't go to dinner with me on a first date? Where will you go on a first date?"

"No, I'll go to dinner with you, but I won't go on a first date with you."

Felicity had lost him. "I take back what I just said. I don't always know what you mean. So, you'll go on a second date with me?"

"First dates are all nerves and awkward silences. I mean, what's a first date but trying to get to know one another while pretending not to be yourself. I already know all the schools you dropped out of. I know about your family. I know what you do in your spare time. I know what you look like without your shirt on." They both laughed. "You already know that I say crazy inappropriate things at absolutely the wrong time. We've already seen each other at our best and worst and you're currently in my bed, shirtless, so, a first date seems silly. Second dates aren't much better. So, no, I won't go on a second date either."

"So, what do you propose? A third date?" He asked, completely besotted with the way her mind worked.

"Hmm. It's way too soon for you to be shirtless in my bed if we haven't even had three dates. I don't want you to think that I'm that kind of woman."

"Well, we wouldn't want that. So, how many dates before I'm allowed to be shirtless in your bed and you not be that kind of woman?"

"Maybe, six. Although, I was kind of hoping to skip ahead." She said mischievously.

"Skip ahead?"

"Yeah, skip ahead." She said seductively. Felicity pushed Oliver onto his back and was straddling his hips before he could react. "I have so many plans for you in my bed right now that I don't think our date could possibly be any less than the tenth."

Oliver's hands grabbed her hips. "Just to be safe, will you go on an eleventh date with me?"

"Yes," she sighed. "Our tenth date went really well and I think we deserve a reward."

Oliver sat up, crushing her against his chest and pressed a kiss against her throat. She shifted so she was sitting in his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist. His lips found hers and their kiss was tender as they took the time to enjoy the moment. Their kiss slowly became more urgent and Oliver could feel the familiar tug of desire. "Wait, wait," he said again.

Felicity groaned in frustration. "You're killing me."

He smiled and gave her a chaste kiss. "I'm sorry, but I need to tell you something."

"You can tell me later," she said as she peppered his jaw with kisses.

"It's important, I need to say this now before we go any further." Her kisses were redirecting blood flow and making it harder for him to think.

She stopped kissing him and met his eyes. "Okay."

Looking at her now, he wasn't sure how he could've wasted so much time worrying about crossing the line of their friendship. "Felicity, I meant it. I love you."

A huge smile spread across her face. "I love you, Oliver." No sooner than the words had left her lips he was in possession of them. "We have too much clothing on." Felicity panted as Oliver began to place a line of kisses along her collarbone. Grunting in agreement, he lowered his hands to the hem of her shirt.

Oliver's cell rang. "Ignore it," he said when she turned her head.

Felicity's cell began to ring. "It's late. It might be important."

Oliver groaned and rolled them so Felicity was on her back and he was nestled between her legs. He stretched over her to grab their phones from the nightstand. When he saw Dig's face appearing on both phones, he couldn't keep the worry from his voice. "It's Dig."

Felicity gasped and grabbed her phone and began speaking. "Is the baby okay?" She let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, he's with me. What? You're where? We're on our way." Felicity dropped her cell to the bed, a smile spreading across her face. "The baby's coming."

Oliver quickly rose from the bed, pulling his shirt back on. He put his shoes back on and watched as she slipped into hers while brushing her hair. Her lips were pink and swollen and she had some beard burn on her chin. There was going to be no hiding from Diggle what they'd been up to. "Felicity?"

Her face was still lit by her beautiful smile. "It's okay, Oliver. Today is going to be the best day. We get to add a new member to our family and we're going to figure this out, I promise."

Oliver leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Remembering the conversation they had the night of her mom's funeral he said, "The year of good things."

She kissed him back. "Yep, this is the year we make good things happen."Felicity followed him down the hall, their hands entwined.

As he drove them to the hospital and listened to Felicity babble happily about all the plans she had for Diggle's daughter, he couldn't help but smile and join in. He was going to do everything in his power to keep his promise. Today would officially be the beginning of the year of good things.

**Notes: Kind readers, my most heartfelt thanks to you for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.**

**I know many of you asked for some smut to close out the story. I have discovered that I don't write smut very well. I decided that no smut is preferable to badly written smut.**

**I do have a third story planned in the series. It will be called, The Year of Good Things. I have the outline of the story and I've written two chapters. I hope to begin posting in two weeks. I promise that I will be practicing writing smut and it will hopefully make an appearance in part 3.**

**Until we meet again.**

**Stacy**


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